CASSELL'S    NATIONAL    LI 

•w 


VOYAGES 


IN  SEABCH  OF  THE 


North- West  Passage 


I^om  the  Collection  of  y 

RICHARD    HAKfitrTT.: 


h 

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:ASSELL  &  COMPANY,  Limited, 

739  &  741  BKpADWAY,  New  York. 


.'V. 


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INTEODUOTION. 


Thibty-five  years  ago  I  made  a  voyage  to  the  Aretio 
Seas  in  what  Chaucer  calls 

A  little  bote 
No  bigger  than  a  manne's  thought ; 

fk  was  a  Phantom  Ship  that  made  some  voyages  to  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  world  which  were  recorded  in  earlv 
numbers  of  Charles  Dickens's  "Household  Words. 
As  preface  to  Richard  Hakluyt's  records  of  the  first 
endeavour  of  our  bold  Elizabethan  mariners  to  find  a 
North-West  Passage  to  the  East,  let  me  repeat  here  tliat 
old  voyage  of  mine  from  No.  55  of  "  Household  Words," 
dated  the  12th  of  April,  1851 :  The  Phantom  is  fitted 
out  for  Arctic  exploration,  with  instructions  to  find  her 
way,  by  the  noiih-west,  to  Behring  Straits,  and  take 
the  South  Pole  on  her  passage  home.  Just  now  we 
steer  due  north,  and  yonder  is  the  coast  of  Norway. 
From  that  coast  parted  Hugh  Willoughby,  three  hun- 
dred years  ago;  the  first  of  our  countrymen  who 
wrought  an  ice-bound  highway  to  Cathay.  Two  years 
afterwards  his  ships  were  found,  in  the  haven  of 
Arzina,  in  Lapland,  by  some  Russian  fishermen  ;  near 
and  about  them  Willoughby  and  his  companions — 
seventy  dead  men.  The  ships  were  freighted  with  their 
frozen  crews,  and  sailed  for  England;  but,  "being 
unstaunch,  as  it  is  supposed,  by  their  two  years'  winter- 
ing in  Lapland,  sunk,  by  the  way,  with  their  dead,  and 
them  also  that  brought  them." 

Ice  floats  about  us  now,  and  here  is  a  whale  blowing; 
a  whale,  too,  very  near  Spitzbergen.  When  first 
Spitzbergen  was  discovered,  in  the  good  old  times,  there 
were  whales  here  in  abundance ;  then  a  hundred  Dutch 


6  '  INTBODUCTION.  ^ 

ships,  in  a  crowd,  might  go  to  work,  and  boats  might 
jostle  with  each  other,  and  the  only  thing  deficient 
would  be  stowage  room  for  all  the  produce  of  the  fishery. 
Now  one  ship  may  have  the  whole  field  fo  itself,  and 
travel  home  with  an  imperfect  cargo.  It  was  fine  fun 
in  the  good  old  times ;  there  was  no  need  to  cruise. 
Coppers  and  boilers  were  fitted  on  the  island,  and  little 
colonies  about  them,  in  the  fishing  season,  had  nothing 
to  do  but  tow  the  whales  in,  with  a  boat,  as  fast  as  they 
were  wanted  by  the  copper.  No  wonder  that  so  en- 
viable a  Tom  Tidler's  ground  was  claimed  by  all  who 
had  a  love  for  gold  and  sijver.  The  English  called  if 
theirs,  for  they  first  fished ;  the  Dutch  said,  nay,  but 
the  island  was  of  their  discovery;  Danes,  Hamburghers, 

.  Biscayans,  Spaniards,  and  French  put  in  their  claims ; 
and  at  length  it  was  agreed  to  make  partitions.  The 
numerous  bays  and  harbours  which  indent  the  coast 
were  divided  among  the  rival  nations ;  and,  to  this  day, 
many  of  them  bear,  accordingly,  such  names  as  English 
Bay,  Danes  Bay,  and  so  forth.  One  bay  there  is,  with 
graves  in  it,  named  Sorrow.  For  it  seemed  to  the 
nshers  most  desirable,  if  possible,  to  plant  upon  this 
island  permanent  establishments,  and  condemned  con- 
victs were  offered,  by  the  Russians,  life  and  pardon,  if 
they  would  winter  in  Spitzbergen.  They  agreed ;  but, 
when  they  saw  the  icy  mountains  and  the  stormy  sea, 

.  repented,  and  went  back,  to  meet  a  death  exempt  from 
torture.  The  Dutch\  tempted  free  men,  by  high  re- 
wards, to  try  the  dangerous  experiment.  One  of  their 
vi<$tims  left  a  journal,  i^hich  described  liatWiiifFering  add 
that  of  his  companions.  Their  mouths,  he  says,  became 
so  sore  that/  if  they  had  food,  they  could  not  eat ;  their 
limbs  were  swollen  and  disal)l^d  with'  ^e^xcruciating  pain ; 
they  died  of  scurvy.  Those  who  died  first  were- 
coffined  by  their  dying  friends;  a  row  of  coffins  was 
found,  in  the  spring,  each  with  a  man  |^  it ;  two  men 
uncoffined,  side  by  side,  were  dead  upon  the  floor.  The 
jounial  told,  how  once  the  traces  of  a  bear  excited  their 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

hope  of  fresh  meat  and  amended  health ;  how,  with  a 
Hntem,  two  or  three  had  limped  upon  the  track,  until 
the  light  became  extinguishea,  and  they  came  back  in 
despair  to  die.  We  might  apeak,  also,  of  eight  Eng- 
lish sailors,  left,  by  accident,  upon  Spitzbergen,  who 
lived  to  return  and  tell  their  winter's  tale ;  but  a  long 
journey  is  before  us,  and  we  must  not  linger  on  the 
way.  As  for  our  whalers,  it  need  scarcely  be  related 
that  the  multitude  of  whales  diminished  as  the  slaughter- 
ing went  on,  until  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  keep  the 
coppers  full.  The  whales  had  to  be  searched  for  by 
the  vessels,  and  thereafter  it  was  not  worth  while  to 
take  the  blubber  to  Spitzbergen  to  be  boiled ;  and  the 
different  nations,  having  carried  home  their  coppers, 
left  the  apparatus  of  those  fishing  stations  to  decay. 

Take  heed.  There  is  a  noise  like  thunder,  and  a 
mountain  snaps  in  tWo.  The  upper  half  comes,  crash- 
ing, grinding,  down  into  the  sea,  and  loosened  streams 
of  water  follow  it.  The  sea  is  displaced  before  the 
mighty  heap ;  it  boils  and  scatters  up  a  cloud  of  spr&y ; 
it  rushes  back,  and  violently  beats  upon  the  |^re. 
The  mountain  rises  from  its  bath,  sways  to  ana  fro, 
.while  water  pours  along  its  mighty  sides;  now  it  is 
tolerably  quiet,  letting  crackers  off  as  air  escapes  out  of 
its  cavities.  That  is  an  iceberg,  and  in  that  way  are 
all  icebergs  formed.  Mountains  of  ice  formed  by  rain 
and  snow — grand  Arctic  glaciers,  undermined  by  the 
sea  or  by  accumulation  over-balanced — topple  down 
upon  the  slightest  provocation  (moved  by  a  shout,  per- 
haps), and  where  they  float,  as  this  black-looking  fellow 
does,  they  need  deep  water.  This  berg  in  height  is 
about  ninety  feet,  and  a  due  balance  requires  that  a 
mass  nine  times  as  large  as  the  part  visible  should  be 
submerged.  Icebergs  are  seen  about  us  now  which  rise 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  water's  level. 

There  are  above  head  plenty  of  aquatic  birds ;  ashore, 
or  on  the  ice,  are  bears,  foxes,  reindeer ;  and  in  the  sea 
there  are  innumerable  animals.    We  shall  not  see  so 


( 


1 8    '  ■     INTRODUCTION. 

much  life  near  the  North  Pole,  that  is  certain.  It  would 
be  worth  while  to  go  ashore  upon  an  islet  tliere,  near  Yogel 
Sang,  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  eider-ducks.  Their  nests 
are  so  abundant  that  one  cannot  avoid  treading  on  them. 
When  the  duck  is  driven  by  a  hungry  fox  to  leave  her 
'  ^SS^f  8^®  covers  them  with  down,  in  order  that  they 
may  not  cool  during  her  absence,  and,  moreover,  ^Anes 
the  down  into  a  case  with  a  secretion  supplied  to  h*  r  by 
Nature  for  that  purpose.  The  deserted  eggs  are  safe, 
for  that  secretion  has  an  odour  very  disagreeable  to  the 
intruder's  nose. 

"We  still  sail  northward,  among  sheets  of  ice,  whose 
boundaries  are  not  beyond  our  vision  from  the  mast- 
head— these  are  "floes;"  between  them  we  find  easy 
way^  it  is  fair  *'  sailing  ice.'*  In  the  clear  sky  to  the 
north  a  streak  of  lucid  white  light  is  the  reflection  from 
an  icy  surface ;  that  is,  "  ice-blink,"  in  the  language  of 
these  seas.  The  glare  from  snow  is  yellow,  while  open 
'  ■•    water  gives  a  dark  reflection. 

Northward  still, ;  but  now  we  are  in  fog  the  ice  is 
troublesome ;  a  gale  is  rising.  Now,  if  our  ship  had 
timbers  they  would  crack,  and  if  she  had  a  bell  it 
would  be  tolling ;  if  we  were  shouting  to  each  other  we 
should  not  hear,  the  sea  is  in  a  fury.  With  wild  force 
its  breakers  dash  against  a  heaped-up  wall  of  broken 
ice,  that  grinds  and  strains  and  battles  fiercely  with  the 
water.  This  is  "  the  pack,"  the  edge  of  a  great  ice- 
'  field  broken  by  the  swell.  It  is  a  perilous  and  an 
exciting  thing  to  push  through  pack  ice  in  a  gale. 

Now  there  is  ice  as  far  as  eye  can  see,  that  is  "  an 
ice-field."  Masses  are  forced  up  like  colossal  tomb- 
stones on  all  sides ;  our  sailors  call  them  *'  hummocks ;" 
here  and  there  the  broken  ice  displays  large  '*  holes  of 
water."  Shall  we  go  onP  Upon  this  field,  in  1827, 
Parry  adventured  with  his  men  to  reach  the  North 
Pole,  if  that  should  be  possible.  With  sledges  and 
portable  boats  they  laboured  on  through  snow  and 
over  hummocks,  launching  their  boats  over  the  larger 


'    ■  I 

INTRODUCTION.  ,  9     • 

v 

holes  of  water.  With  stout  hearts,  undaunted  by  toil 
or  dangler,  they  went  boldly  on,  though  by  degrees  it 
liecanie  clear  to  the  leaders  of  the  expedition  that  they 
were  almost  like  mice  upon  a  treadmill  cage,  making 
a  great  expenditure  of  leg  for  little  gain.  The  ice  was 
floating  to  the  south  with  them,  as  tney  were  walking 
to  the  north ;  still  they  went  on.  Sleeping  by  day  to 
avoid  the  glare,  and  to  get  greater  warmth  during  the 
time  of  rest,  and  travelling  by  night — watch-makers' 
days  and  nights,  for  it  was  all  one  polar  day — ^the  men 
soon  were  unable  to  distinguish  noon  from  midnight. 
The  great  event  of  one  day  on  this  dreary  waste  was 
the  discovery  of  two  flies  upon  an  ice  hummock ;  these, 
says  Parry,  became  at  once  a  topic  of  ridiculous  im- 
portance. Presently,  after  twenty-three  miles'  walking, 
they  had  only  gone  one  mile  forward,  the  ice  having 
industriously  floated  twenty-two  miles  in  the  opposite 
direction ;  and  th«ji,  after  walking  forward  eleven 
miles,  they  found  themselves  to  be  three  miles  behind 
the  place  from  which  they  started.  The  party  accord- 
ingly returned,  not  having  reached  the  Pole,  not  having 
reached  the  eighty-third  parallel,  for  the  attainment  of 
which  thoro  was  a  reward  oi  a  thousand  pounds  held  ^ 
out  by  f  .  rhment.  They  reached  the  parallel  of 
eight)^-tw*o  degrees  forty-five  minutes,  which  was  the 
'    most  northerly  point  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man. 

From  that  point  they  returned.  In  those  high 
latitudes  they  met  with  a  phenomenon,  common  in 
alpine  regions,  as  well  as  at  the  Pole,  red  snow ;  the 

^  red  colour  being  caused  by  the  abundance  of  a  minute 
plant,  of  low  development,  the  last  dweller  on  the 
borders  of  the  vegetable  kingdom.  More  interesting 
to  the  sailors  was  a  fat  she  bear  which  they  killed  and 
devoured  with  a  zeal  to  be  repented  of ;  for  on  reaching 

.  navigable  sea,  and  pushing  in  their  boats  to  Table 
Island,  where  some  stones  were  left,  they  found  thifct 
the  bears  had  eaten  all  their  bread,  whereon  the  men 
agreed  that  "  Bruin  was  now  square  with  them."    An 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

islet  next  to  Table  Island — they  are  both  mere  rocks — 
is  the  most  northern  land  discovered.  Therefore,  Parry- 
implied  to  it  the  name  of  lieutenant — afterwards  Sir 
James — Boss.  This  compliment  Sir  James  Ross  ac- 
knowledged in  the  most  emphatic  manner,  by  discover- 
ing on  his  part,  at  the  other  Pole,  the  most  southern 
land  yet  seen,  and  giving  to  it  the  name  of  Parry: 
"  Parry  Mountains." 

^  It  very  probably  would  not  be  difficult,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances as  Sir  W.  Parry  has  since  recommended,  to 
reach  the  North  Pole  along  this  route.  Then  (especi- 
ally if  it  be  true,  as  many  believe,  that  there  is  a  region 
of  open  sea  about  the  Pole  itself)  we  might  find  it  as 
easy  to  reach  Behring  Straits  by  travelling  in  a  straight 
line  over  the  North  Pole,  as  by  threading  the  straits 
4md  bays  north  of  America.  *- 

We  turn  our  course  until  we  have  in  sight  a  portion 
^f  the  ice-barred  eastern  coast  of  Greenland,  Shannon 
Island.  Somewhere  about  this  spot  in  the  seventy- 
fifth  parallel  is  the  most  northern  part  of  that  coast 
Jcnown  to  us.  Colonel — then  Captain — Sabine  in  the 
Griper  was  landed  there  to  make  magnetic,  and  other 
observations ;  for  the  saiAe  purpose  he  had  previously 
visited  Sierra  Leone.  That  is  where  we  differ  from 
our  forefathers.  They  commissioned  hardy  seamen  to 
encounter  peril  for  the  search  of  gold  ore,  or  for  a  near 
road  to  Cathay ;  but  our  peril  is  encountered  for  the 
gain  of  knowledge,  for  the  highest  kind  of  service  that 
can  now  be  rendered  to  the  human  race. 

Before  we  leave  the  Northern  Sea,  we  must  not  omit 
to  mention  the  voyage  by  Spitzbergen  northward,  in 
1818,  of  Captain  Buclian  in  the  Dorothea,  accompanied 
by  Lieutenant  Franklin,  in  the  Trent.  It  was  Sir  John 
iranldin's  first  voyage  to  the  Arctic  regions.  This 
trip  forms  the  subject  of  a  delightful  book  by  Captain 
Beechey. 

On  our  way  to  the  south  point  of  Greenland  we  pass 
near  Cape  North,  a  point  of  Iceland.    Iceland,  we 


INTEODUCTION.  11      ^ 

know,  is  the  centre  of  a  Tolcanic  region,  whereof 
ITorway  and  Greenland  are  at  opposite  points  of  the 
cirenmference.  In  connection  with  this  district  there 
is  a  remarkable  fact ;  tliat  by  the  agency  of  subter- 
ranean forces,  a  large  portion  of  Norway  and  Sweden 
is  being  slowly  upheaved.  While  Greenland,  on  the 
west  coast,  as  gradually  sinks  into  the  sea,  Norway  rises 
at  the  rate  of  about  four  feet  in  a  century.  In  Green- 
land, the  sinking  is  so  well  known  that  the  natives 
never  build  close  to  the  water's  edge,  and  the  Moravian 
missionaries  more  than  once  have  had  to  move  farther 
inland  the  poles  on  which  their  boats  are  rested. 

Our  Phantom  Ship  stands  fairly  now  along  the 
western  coast  of  Greenland  into  Davis  Straits.  We 
observe  that  upon  this  western  coast  there  is,  by  a  great 
deal,  less  ice  than  on  the  eastern.  That  is  a  rule  gene- 
rally. Not  only  the  configuration  of  the  straits  and 
bays,  but  also  the  earth's  rotation  from  west  to  east, 
causes  the  currents  here  to  set  towards  the  west,  and 
wash  the  western  coasts,  while  they  act  very  little  on 
the  eastern.  We  steer  across  Davis  Strait,  among  "  an 
infinite  number  of  great  countreys  and  islands  of  yce  ;" 
there,  near  the  entrance,  we  find  Hudson  Strait,  which 
•does  not  now  concern  us.  Islands  probably  separate 
this  well-known  channel  from  Frobisher  Strait  to  the 
north  of  it,  yet  imexplored.  Here  let  us  recall  to  mind 
the  fleet  of  fifteen  sail,  under  Sir  Martin  Frobisher,  in 
1578,  tossing  about  and  parting  company  among  the 
ice.  Let  us  remember  how  the  crew  of  the  Anne 
Frances,  in  that  expedition,  built  a  pinnace  when  their 
vessel  struck  upon  a  rock,  although  they  wanted  main 
iiimber  and  nails.  How  they  made  a  mimic  forge,  and 
**  for  the  easier  making  of  nails,  were  forced  to  break 
"their  tongs,  gridiron,  and  fire-shovel,  in  pieces."  How 
Master  Captain  Best,  in  this  frail  bark,  with  its  im- 
perfect timbers  held  together  by  the  metamorphosed 
^diron  and  fire-shovel,  continued  in  his  duty,  and  did 
'  depart  up  the  straights  as  before  was  pretended." 


12  .    INTEODTJCTION. 


!l< 


How  a  terrific  storm  arose,  and  the  fleet  parted,  and 
the  intrepid  captain  was  towed  "  in  his  small  pinnesse, 
at  the  stern  oi  the  Michael,  thorow  the  raging  seas ; 
for  the  bark  was  not  able  to  receive,  or  relieve  half  his 
company."  The  "tongs,  gridyron,  and  fire-shovell," 
performed  their  work  only  for  as  many  minutes  as  were 
absolutely  necessary,  for  "  the  pinnesse  came  no  sooner 
aboord  the  ship,  and  the  men  entred,  but  she  presently 
shivered  and  fell  in  pieces,  and  suuke  at  the  ship's 
stem  with  all  the  poor  men's  furniture.'* 

Now,  too,  as  we  sail  up  the  strait,  explored  a  few 
years  after  these  events  by  Master  John  Davis,  how 
proudly  ^e  remember  him  as  a  right  worthy  forerunner 
of  those  countrymen  of  his  and  ours  who  since  have 
sadled  over  his  track.  Nor  ought  we  to  pass  on  with- 
out calling  to  mind  the  melancholy  fate,  in  1606,  of 
Master  John  Knight,  driven,  in  the  Hopewell,  among 
huge  masses  of  ice  with  a  tremendous  surf,  his  rudder 
knocked  away,  his  ship  half  full  of  water,  at  the  en- 
trance to  these  straits.  Hoping  to  find  a  harbour,  he 
set  forth  to  explore  a  large  island,  and  landed,  leaving 
two  men  to  watch  the  boat,  while  he,  with  three  men 
and  the  mate,  set  forth  and  disappeared  over  a  hill. 
For  thirteen  hours  the  watchers  kept  their  post ;  one 
had  his  trumpet  with  him,  for  he  was  a  trumpeter,  the 
other  had  a  gun.  They  trumpeted  often  and  loudly ; 
ihey  fired,  but  no  answer  came.  They  watched  ashore 
all  night  for  the  return  of  their  captain  and  his  party, 
*'  but  they  came  not  at  all.'* 

The  season  is  advanced.  As  we  sail  on,  the  sea 
steams  like  a  lime-kiln,  "  frost-smoke  "  covers  it.  The 
water,  cooled  less  rapidly,  is  warmer  now  than  the 
surrounding  air,  and  yields  this  vapour  in  consec[uence. 
By  the  time  our  vessel  has  reached  BaflSn's  Bay,  still 
coasting  along  Greenland,  in  addition  to  old  floes  and 
bergs,  the  water  is  beset  with  "  paucake  ice."  That  is 
the  young  ice  when  it  first  begins  to  cake  upon  the 
surface.     Innocert  enough  it  seems,  but  it  is  sadly 


INTBoblJCTION.  13 

clogging  to  the  ships.  It  sticks  about  their  sides 
like  treacle  on  a  fly's  wing  ;  collecting  unequally, 
it  destroys  all  equilibrium,  and  impedes  the  efforts 
of  the  steersman.  Rocks  split  on  the  Greenland 
coast  with  loud  explosions,  and  more  icebergs  fall. 
Icebergs  we  soon  shall  take  our  leave  of ;  they  are  only 
found  where  there  is  a  coast  on  whicli  glaciers  can 
form ;  they  are  good  for  nothing  but  to  yield  fresh 
water  to  the  vessels ;  it  will  be  all  field,  pack,  and  salt- 
water ice  presently. 

Now  we  are  in  Baffin's  Bay,  explored  in  the  voyages 
of  Bylot  and  Baffin,  1615-16.  When,  in  1817,  a  great 
movement  in  the  Greenland  ice  caused  many  to  believe 
that  the  northern  passages  would  be  found  com- 
paratively clear ;  and  when,  in  consequence  of  this  im- 
pression. Sir  John  Barrow  succeeded  in  setting  afoot 
that  course  of  modern  Arctic  exploration  which  has 
been  continued  to  the  present  day.  Sir  John  Ross  was 
the  first  man  sent  to  find  the  North- West  Passage. 
Buchan  and  Parry  were  commissioned  at  the  same 
time  to  attempt  the  North  Sea  route.  Sir  John  Ross 
did  little  more  on  that  occasion  than  efliect  a  survey  of 
Baffin's  Bay,  and  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  ancient 
pilot.  In  the  extreme  north  of  the  bay  there  is  an  inlet 
or  a  channel,  called  by  Baffin  Smith's  Sound ;  this  Sir  , 
John  saw,  but  did  not  enter.  It  never  yet  has  been  * 
explored.  It  may  be  an  inlet  only ;  but  it  is  also  very 
possible  that  by  this  channel  ships  might  get  into  the 
Polar  Sea  and  sail  by  the  north  shore  of  Greenland  to  ^ 
Spitzbergen.  Turning  that  corner,  and  descending 
along  the  westefn  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay,  there  is 
another  inlet  called  Jones'  Sound  by  Baffin,  also  un- 
explored. These  two  inlets,  with  their  very  British 
titles,  Smith  and  Jones,  are  of  exceeding  interest. 
Jones'  Sound  may  lead  by  a  back  way  to  Melville 
Island.  South  of  Jones'  Sound  there  is  a  wide  break 
in  the  shore,  a  great  sound,  named  by  Baffin,  Lan- 
caster's, which  Sir  John  Ross,  in  that  first  expedition, 


14  INTEODXrOTTON.  'i 

failed  also  to  explore.  Like  our  transatlantic  friends 
at  the  South  Pole,  he  laid  down  a  range  of  clouds  as^ 
mountains,  and  considered  the  way  impervious ;  so  he 
came  home.  Parry  went  out  next  year,  as  a  lieutenant, 
in  command  of  his  first  and  most  successful  expedition. 
He  sailed  up  Lancaster  Sound,  which  was  in  that  year 
(1819)  unusually  clear  of  ice ;  and  he  is  the  discoverer 
whose  track  we  now  follow  in  our  Phantom  Ship.  The 
whole  ground  being  new,  he  had  to  name  the  points  of 
country  right  and  left  of  him.  The  way  was  broad  and 
open,  due  west,  a  most  prosperous  beginning  for  a 
North-West  Passage.  If  this  continued,  he  would  soon 
reach  Behring  Strait.  A  broad  channel  to  the  right, 
directed,  that  is  to  say,  southward,  he  entered  on  the 
Prince  of  Wales's  birthday,  and  so  called  it  the  "  Prince 
Regent's  Inlet."  After  exploring  this  for  some  miles, 
he  turned  back  to  resume  his  western  course,  for  still 
there  was  a  broad  strait  leading  westward.  This  second 
part  of  Lancaster  Sound  he  called  after  the  Secretary 
of  the  Admiralty  who  had  so  indefatigably  laboured  to 
promote  the  expeditions,  Barrow's  Strait.  Then  he 
came  to  a  channel,  turning  to  the  right  or  northward, 
and  he  named  that  Wellington  Channel.  Then  he  had 
on  his  right  hand  ice,  islands  large  and  small,  and  in- 
tervening channels ;  on  the  left,  ice,  and  a  cape  visible, 
Cape  Walker.  At  an  island,  named  after  the  First 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty  Melville  Island,  the  great  frozen 
wilderness  barred  farther  progress.  There  he  wintered. 
On  the  coast  of  Melville  Island  they  had  passed  the 
latitude  of  one  hundred  and  ten  degj^ees,  and  the  men 
had  become  entitled  to  a  royal  bounty  of  five  thousand 
pounds.  This  group  of  islands  Parry  called  North  Geor- 

fian,  but  they  are  usually  called  by  his  own  name,  Parry 
slands.  This  was  the  first  European  winter  party  in  the 
Arctic  circle.  Its  details  are  familiar  enough.  How  the 
men  cut  in  three  days,  through  ice  seven  inches  thick,  a 
canal  two  miles  and  a  half  long,  and  so  brought  the  ships 
into  safe  harbour.    How  the  genius  of  Parry  equalled 


,v^   >  INTEODUCTION.  15 

the  occasion ;  how  there  was  established  a  theatre  and 
a  North  Georgian  Gazette,  to  cheer  the  tediousnes» 
of  a  night  which  continued  for  two  thousand  hours. 
The  dreary,  dazzling  waste  in  which  there  was  that  little 
patch  of  life,  the  stars,  the  fog,  the  moonlight,  the 
glittering  wonder  of  the  northern  lights,  in  which,  as 
Greenlanders  believe,  souls  of  the  wicked  dance  tor- 
mented, are  familiar  to  us.  The  she-bear  stays  at 
home ;  but  the  he-bear  hungers,  and  looks  in  vain  for  a 
stray  seal  or  walrus — woe  to  the  unarmed  man  who 
meets  him  in  his  hungry  mood !  "Wolves  are  abroad, 
and  pretty  white  arctic  foxes.  The  reindeer  have 
sought  other  pasture-ground.  The  thermometer  runs 
down  to  more  than  sixty  degrees  below  freezing,  a 
temperature  tolerable  in  calm  weather,  but  distressing 
in  a  wind.  The  eye-piece  of  the  telescope  must  be 
protected  now  with  leather,  for  the  skin  is  destroyed 
that  comes  in  contact  with  cold  metal.  The  voice  at  a 
mile's  distance  can  be  heard  distinctly.  Happy  the  day 
when  first  the  sun  is  seen  to  graze  the  edge  of  the 
horizon;  but  summer  must  come,  and  the  heat  of  a 
constant  day  must  accumulate,  and  summer  wane, 
before  the  ice  is  melted.  Then  the  ice  cracks,  like 
cannons  over-charged,  and  moves  with  a  loud  grinding 
noise.  But  lot  yet  is  escape  to  be  made  with  safety. 
After  a  detention  of  ten  months,  Parry  got  free ;  but, 
in  escaping,  narrowly  missed  the  destruction  of  both 
ships,  by  their  being  "nipped"  between  the  mighty 
mass  and  the  unyielding  snore.  What  animals  are 
found  on  Melville  Island  we  may  judge  from  the 
results  of  sport  during  ten  months'  detention.  The 
island  exceeds  five  thousand  miles  square,  and  yielded 
to  the  gun,  three  musk  oxen,  twenty-four  deer,  sixty- 
eight  hares,  fifty- three  geese,  fif  fcy-nine  ducks,  and  one 
hundred  and  for^  -four  ptarmigans,  weighing  together 
three  thousand  ^oven  hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds—* 
not  quite  two  ounces  of  meat  per  day  to  every  man. 
Lic?iens,  stunted  grass,  saxifrage,  and  a  feeble  willow. 


16  INTRODUCTION.  ^ 

are  the  plants  of  Melville  Island,  but  in  sheltered  nooks 
there  are  found  sorrel,  poppy,  and  a  yellow  buttercup. 
Halos  and  double  suns  are  very  common  consequences 
of  refraction  in  this  quarter  of  the  world.  Franklin 
returned  from  his  first  and  most  famous  voyage  with 
his  men  all  &afe  and  sound,  except  the  loss  of  a  few 
fingers,  frosi-bitten.  We  sail  back  only  as  far  as 
E-egent's  Inlel.  being  bound  for  Behring  Strait. 

The  reputation  of  S^r  John  Ross  being  clouded  by 
discontent  expressed  against  his  first  expedition,  Felix 
Booth,  a  rich  distills,  provided  seventeen  thousand 
pounds  to  enable  his  friend  to  redeem  his  credit.  Sir 
John  accordingly,  in  1829,  went  out  in  the  Victory^ 
provided  with  steam-machinery  that  did  not  answer 
well.  He  was  accompanied  by  Sir  James  Ross,  his 
nephew.  He  it  was  who,  on  this  occasion,  first  sur- 
'i'eyed  Regent's  Inlet,  down  which  we  are  now  sailing 
with  our  Phantom  Ship.  The  coast  on  our  right  hand, 
westward,  which  Parry  saw,  is  called  North  Somerset, 
but  farther  south,  where  the  inlet  widens,  the  land  is 
named  Boothia  Felix.  Five  years  before  this,  Parry, 
in  his  third  voyage,  had  attempted  to  pass  down 
Regent's  Inlet,  where  among  ice  and  storm,  one  of  his 
ships,  the  Hecla,  had  been  driven  violently  ashore,  and 
of  necessity  abandoned.  The  stores  had  been  removed, 
and  Sir  John  was  able  now  to  replenish  his  own  vessel 
from  them.  Rounding  a  point  at  the  boUom  of  Prince 
Regent's  Inlet,  we  find  Felix  Harbour,  where  Sir  John 
Ross  wintered.  His  nephew  made  from  this  point 
scientific  explorations ;  discovered  a  strait,  called  after 
him  the  Strait  of  James  Ross,  and  on  the  northern 
shora  of  this  strait,  on  the  main  land  of  Boothia,  planted 
the  British  flag  on  the  Northern  Magnetic  Pole.  The 
ice  broke  up,  so  did  the  Victory  ;  after  a  hairbreadth 
escape,  the  party  found  a  searching  vessel  and  arrived 
h6me  after  an  absence  of  four  years  and  five  months. 
Sir  John  Ross  having  lost  his  ship,  and  won  his  repu- 
tation.   The  friend  in  need  was  made  a  baronet  for  his 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

nmnificence ;  Sir  John  was  reimbursed  for  all  his 
losses,  and  the  crew  liberally  taken  care  of.  Sir  James 
Boss  had  a  rod  and  flag  signifying  "  Magnetic  Pole," 
given  to  him  for  a  new  crest,  by  the  Heralds*  College, 
for  which  he  was  no  doubt  greatly  the  better. 

We  have  sailed  northward  to  get  into  Hudson  Strait, 
the  high  road  into  Hudson  Bay.  Along  the  shore  are 
Esquimaux  in  boats,  extremely  active,  but  these  tiHhy 
creatures  we  pafes  by ;  the  Esquimaux  in  Hudson  Strait 
are  like  the  negroes  of  the  coast,  demoralised  by  inter- 
course with  European  traders.  These  are  not  true 
pictures  of  the  loving  children  of  the  north.  Our 
"  Phantom  "  floats  on  the  wide  waters  of  Hudson  Bay 
— the  grave  of  its  discoverer.  Familiar  as  the  story  is 
of  Henry  Hudson's  fate,  for  John  King's  sake  how 
gladly  we  repeat  it.  While  sailing  on  the  waters  he 
discovered,  in  1611,  his  men  mutinied  ;  the  mutiny  was 
aided  by  Henry  Green,  a  prodigal,  whom  Hudson  had 
generously  shielded  from  ruin.  Hudson,  the  master, 
and  his  son,  with  six  sick  or  disabled  members  of  the 
crew,  were  driven  from  their  cabins,  forced  into  a  little 
shallop,  and  committed  helpless  to  the  water  and  the 
ice.  But  there  was  one  stout  man,  John  King,  the 
carpenter,  who  stepped  into  the  boat,  abjuring  his  com- 
panions, and  chose  rather  to  die  than  even  passively  be 
partaker  in  so  foul  a  crime.  John  King,  we  who  live 
after  -will  remember  you. 

Here  on  an  island,  Charlton  Island,  near  our  entrance 
to  the  bay,  in  1631,  wintered  poor  Captain  James  with 
his  wrecked  crew.  This  is  a  point  outside  the  Arctic 
circle,  but  quite  cold  enough.  Of  nights,  with  a  good 
fire  in  the  house  they  built,  hoar  frost  covered  their 
beds,  and  the  cook's  water  in  a  metal  pan  before  the 
fire  was  warm  on  one  side  and  froze  on  the  other. 
Here  "  it  snowed  and  froze  extremely,  at  which  time 
we,  looking  from  the  shore  towards  the  ship,  she 
appeared  a  piece  of  ice  in  the  fashion  of  a  ship,  or  a 
ship  resembling  a  piece  of  ice."    Here  the  gunner,  who 


18  INTBODUCTION.  % 

had  lost  his  leg,  boson jiflit  that,  "  for  the  little  time  he 
had  to  live,  he  might  drink  sack  nUogotJior."  He  died 
and  was  buried  in  tlie  ico  far  from  the  vessel,  but  when 
afterwards  two  more  were  dead  of  scurvy,  and  the 
others,  in  a  miserable  state,  were  working  with  faint 
hope  about  their  shattered  vessel,  the  gunner  was  found 
to  nave  returned  home  to  the  old  vessel;  his  leg  had 
penetrated  through  a  port-hole.  They  "  digged  him 
clear  out,  and  he  was  as  free  from  noisomeness,"  the 
record  says,  "  as  when  we  first  committed  him  to  the 
sea.  This  alteration  had  the  ice,  and  water,  and  time, 
only  wrought  on  him,  that  his  flesh  would  slip  up  and 
down  upon  his  bones,  like  a  glove  on  a  man's  hand. 
In  the  evening  we  buried  him  by  the  others."  These 
worthy  souls,  laid  up  with  the  agonies  of  scurvy,  knew 
jthat  in  action  was  their  only  hope;  they  forced  their, 
limbs  to  labour,  among  ico  and  water,  every  day.  They 
set  aboiit  the  building  of  a  boat,  but  the  hard  frozen 
wood  had  broken  all  tlioir  axes,  so  they  made  shift  with 
the  pieces.  To  fell  a  tree,  it  was  first  requisite  to  light 
a  fire  around  it,  and  the  carpenter  could  only  labour 
with  his  wood  over  a  fire,  or  else  it  was  like  stone  under 
his  tools.  Before  the  boat  was  made  they  buried  the 
carpenter.  The  captain  exhorted  them  to  put  their 
trust  in  God ;  "  His  will  be  done.  If  it  be  our  fortune 
to  end  our  days  here,  we  are  as  near  Heaven  as  in 
England.  They  all  protested  to  work  to  the  utmost  of 
their  strength,  and  that  they  would  refuse  nothing  that 
I  should  order  them  to  do  to  the  utmost  hazard  of  their 
lives.  I  thanked  them  all.'*  Truly  the  North  Pole  has 
its  triumphs.  If  we  took  no  account  of  the  fields  of 
trade  opened  by  our  Arctic  explorers,  if  we  thought 
nothing  of  the  wants  of  science  in  comparison  with^  the 
lives  lost  in  supplying  them,  is  not  the  loss  of  life  a 

fain,  which  proves  and  tests  the  fortitude  of  noble 
earts,  and  teaches  us  respect  for  human  nature  P  All 
the  lives  that  have  been  lost  among  these  Polar  regions 
are  less  in  number  than  the  dead  upon  a  battle-field. 


V  INTRODtrCTION.  ^  ,19 

m 

The  battle-field  inflicted  shame  npou  our  race — is  it 
with  shame  that  our  hearts  throb  in  following  these 
Arctic  heroes  P  March  Slst,  says  Captain  James, "  was 
very  cold,  with  snow  and  hail,  which  pinched  our  sick 
men  moje  than  any  time  this  year.  This  evening,  being 
May  eve,  wo  returned  late  from  our  work  to  our  house, 
and  made  a  good  fire,  and  chose  ladies,  and  cere- 
moniously wore  their  names  in  our  caps,  endeavouring  to 
revive  ourselves  by  any  means.  On  the  15th,  I  manured 
a  little  patch  of  ground  that  was  bare  of  snow,  and 
sowed  it  with  pease,  hoping  to  have  some  shortlv  to  oat, 
for  as  yet  we  could  see  no  green  thing  to  comiort  us." 
Those  prfase  saved  the  party ;  as  they  came  up  the 
young  shoots  were  boiled  and  eaten,  so  their  health 
began  to  mend,  and  they  recovered  from  their  scurvy. 
Eventually,  after  other  perils,  they  succeeded  in  making 
their  escape. 

A  strait,  called  Sir  Thomas  Rowe's  "Welcome,  leads 
due  north  out  of  Hudson  Bay,  being  parted  by  South- 
ampton Island  from  the  strait  through  which  we  entered. 
Its  name  is  quaint,  for  so  was  its  discoverer,  Luke 
Fox,  a  worthy  man,  addicted  much  to  euphuism.  Fox 
sailed  from  London  in  the  same  year  in  which  James 
sailed  from  Bristol.  They  were  rivals.  Meeting  in 
Davis  Straits,  Fox  dined  on  board  his  friendly  rival's 
vessel,  which  was  very  unfit  for  the  service  upon  which 
it  went.  The  sea  washed  over  them  and  came  into  the 
cabin,  so  says  Fox,  "sauce  would  not  have  been  wanted 
if  there  had  been  roast  mutton."  Luke  Fox,  being 
ice-bound  and  in  peril,  writes,  "  God  thinks  upon  our 
imprisonment  with  a  stipersedeas ;"  but  he  was  a  good 
and  honourable  man  as  well  as  euphuist.  His  "  Sir 
Thomas  Rowe*s  "Welcome "  leads  into  Fox  Channel  ; 
our  "  Phantom  Ship"  is  pushing  through  the  welcome 
passes  on  the  left-hand  Repulse  Bay.  This  portion  of 
the  Arctic  regions,  with  Fox  Channel,  is  extremely- 
perilous.  Here  Captain  Lyon,  in  the  Qriper,  was 
thrown  anchorless  upon  the  mercy  of  a  stormy  sea>  ice 


20  ,  INTRODUCTION.  ^ 

crnshinjif  aroimd  liiiii.  Ono  island  in  Fox  Channel  is 
called  Mil)  Island,  from  the  incessant  grinding  of  great 
masses  of  ico  collected  there.  In  the  nortli(U'n  part  of 
Fox  Clinnnel,  on  the  wesiern  shore,  is  Melville  Penin- 
sula, where  Parrv  w interred  on  liis  second  voyag(\  Here 
let  \is  go  ashore  and  soe  a  little  colony  of  Esqmmaux. 
Tlioir  huts  are  built  of  blocks  of  snow,  and  arched, 
having  an  ice  \mno  for  a  window.  They  -construct  their 
arched  entrance  and  tlu»ir  liemis])iierical  roof  on  the 
true  principles  of  architi^cture.  Those  wise  men,  the 
Egyptians,  made  Wnnv  arch  by  hewing  the  stones  out 
of  shape  ;  the  Esquimaux  have  the  true  secret.  Hero 
they  are,  with  little  food  in  winter  and  great  appetites ; 
devouring  a  whole  walrus  when  they  get  it,  and  taking 
the  chance  of  hunger  for  the  next  eight  days— hungry 
or  full,  for  ever  hapj)y  in  their  h)t — here  are  the  Esqui- 
maux. They  are  warmly  clothed,  each  in  a  double  suit 
of  skins  sc^wn  neatly  together.  Some  are  singing,  with 
good  voices  too.  Please  them,  and  they  straightway 
dance ;  activity  is  good  in  a  cold  climate.  Play  to 
them  on  the  tlute,  or  if  you  can  sing  well,  sing,  or  turn 
a  barrel-organ,  they  are  mute,  eager  with  wonder  and 
delight ;  their  love  of  music  is  intense.  Give  them  a 
pencil,  and,  like  cliildren,  they  will  draw.  Teach  them 
and  they  will  learn,  oblige  them  and  they  will  be 
grateful.  "  Gentle  and  loving  savages,"  one  of  our 
old  worthies  called  them,  and  the  Portuguese  were  so 
much  impressed  with  their  teachable  and  gentle  con- 
duct, that  a  Venetian  ambassador  writes,  "  His  serene 
majesty  contemplates  deriving  great  advantage  from 
the  country,  not  only  on  account  of  the  timber  of  which 
he  has  occasion,  but  of  the  inhabitants,  who  are  admir- 
ably calculated  for  labour,  and  are  the  best  I  have  ever 
seen."  The  Esquimaux,  of  course,  will  learn  vice,  and 
in  the  region  visited  by  whale  ships,  vice  enough  has 
certainly  been  taught  him.  Here  are  the  dogs,  who 
will  oat  old  coats,  or  anything  ;  and,  near  the  dwellings, 
here  is  a  snow-bunting — robin  redbreast  of  the  Arctic 


/"•■ 


INTRODUCTION.  ^  21 

lands.  A  party  of  our  sailors  once,  on  landing,  took 
some  sticks  from  a  largo  hewp,  and  uncovered  the  nest 
of  a  snow- bunting  with  young,  tlie  bird  flew  to  a  little 
distnneo,  but  seeing  that  the  men  vsat  down,  and  harmed 
hor  not,  continued  to  80(»k  food  and  supply  her  little 
ones,  witli  full  faith  in  the  good  intentions  of  the 
party.  Captain  Lyon  found  a  child's  grave  partly  un- 
covered, and  a  snow-bunting  had  built  its  nest  upon  the 
infant's  bosom. 

Sailing  round  Melville  Peninsula,  we  come  into  the 
Gulf  of  Akkolee,  through  Fury  and  Hocla  Straits,^ 
discovered  by  Parry.  So  wo  get  back  to  the  bottom  of 
Regent's  Inlet,  which  we  quitted  a  short  time  ago,  and 
sailing  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  magnetic  pole,  we 
reach  the  estuary  of  Back's  River,  on  the  north-east 
coast  of  America.  We  pass  then  through  a  strait, 
discovered  in  1839  by  Dean  and  Simpson,  still  coasting 
along  the  northern  shore  of  America,  on  the  great 
Stinking  Lake,  as  Indians  call  this  ocean.  Boats,  ice 
permitting,  and  our  "  Phantom  Ship,"  of  course,  can 
coast  all  the  way  to  Behring  Strait.  The  whole  coast 
has  been  (explored  by  Sir  John  Franklin,  Sir  John 
Richardson,  and  Sir  George  Back,  who  liavo  earned 
their  knighthoods  through  great  peril.  As  wo  pass 
Coronation  Gulf — the  scene  of  Franklin,  Richardson,  and 
Back's  first  exploration  from  the  Coppermine  River — 
we  revert  to  the  romantic  story  of  their  journey  back, 
over  a  land  of  snow  and  frost,  subsisting  upon  lichens, 
with  companions  starved  to  death,  where  they  plucked 
^  wild  leaves  for  tea,  and  ate  their  shoes  for  supper ;  the 
tragedy  by  the  river  ;  the  murder  of  poor  Hood,  with 
a  book  of  prayers  in  his  hand ;  Franklin  at  Fort  Enter- 
prise, with  two  companions  at  the  point  of  death,  him- 
self gaunt,  hollow-eyed,  feeding  on  pounded  bones, 
raked  from  the  dunghill ;  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Richardson 
and  the  brave  sailor ;  their  awful  story  of  the  cannibal 
Michel; — we  revert  to  these  things  with  a  shudder. 
But  we  must  continue  on  our  route.     The  current  still 


22  •  INTBODUCTION.  ^ 

flows  westward,  bearing  now  Inrgo  quantities  of  drift- 
wood out  of  tlie  Mackonzio  River.  At  the  name  of 
Sir  Aloxauder  Mackonzio,  also,  wo  might  pause,  and 
talk  over  the  bold  achiovomonts  of  another  Arctic  hero; 
but  wt*  pass  on,  by  a  rugged  and  inliospitable  coast, 
unlit  for  vessels  of  lar^j^i^  draught — pass  the  broad 
mouth  of  the  Youcon.  pass  Point  Barrow,  Icy  Cape, 
and  are  in  Bt^liriiii:!:  Strait.  Had  we  passed  on,  we 
should  have  found  tlu»  Russian  Arctic  coast  line,  traced 
out  by  a  series  of  Russian  explorers ;  of  whom  the 
most  illustrious — Baron  Von  Wrang<dl — states,  that 
beyond  a  cert^iiu  distiiuco  to  the  northward  there  is 
always  found  what  he  calls  the  Polynja  (open  water). 
This  is  tlio  fact  adduced  by  those  who  adhere  to  the 
old  fancy  that  there  is  a  sea  about  the  Polo  itself  quite 
fret^  from  ice. 

y  We  pass  through  Behring  Straits.  Behring,  a  Dane 
by  birth,  but  iu  the  Russian  service,  died  here  in  1741, 
up(m  the  scene  of  his  discovery.  He  and  his  crew, 
victims  of  scurvy,  were  unable  to  manage  their  vessel 
in  a  storm ;  and  it  was  at  length  wrecked  on  a  barren 
island,  there,  whore  '*  want,  nakedness,  cold,  sickness, 
impatience,  and  despair,  were  their  daily  guests,*' 
Behring,  his  lieutenant,  and  the  master  died. 

Now  we  must  put  a  girdle  round  the  world,  and  do 
it  with  the  speed  of  Ariel.  Here  we  are  already  in  the 
heats  of  the  equator.  We  can  do  no  more  than  remark, 
that  if  air  and  water  are  heated  at  the  equator,  and 
frozen  at  the  poles,  there  will  be  equilibrium  destroyed, 
and  constant  currents  caused.  And  so  it  happens,  so  ^ 
we  get  the  prevailing  winds,  and  all  the  currents  of 
the  ocean.  Of  these,  some  of  the  ust^s,  but  bv  no  means 
all,  are  obvious.  We  urge  our  "  Phantom  *  fleetly  to 
the  southern  pole.  Here,  over  the  other  hemispliere  of 
the  earth,  there  sliines  another  hemisphere  of  heaven. 
The  stjirs  are  changed ;  tlie  southern  cross,  the  Magel- 
lanic clouds,  the  "  coal-sack"  in  the  milky  way,  attract 
our  notice.    Now  we  are  in  the  southern  latitude  that 


•7  '   ••  r^ 

INTRODUCTION.  *  58 

S 

correRponds  to  England  in  the  north;  nay,  at  a  greater 
distance  from  the  PoUs  we  find  Korguelen's  Land,  em- 
phatically caUed  "  Tiio  Isle  of  Desolation."  Icebergs 
tioat  innch  further  into  the  warm  sea  on  this  side  of 
the  txpiator  before  they  dissolve.  Tlie  South  Pole  is 
evidently  a  more  thoroiigli  refrigerator  than  the  North. 
Why  is  this  P  We  shall  soon  see.  We  push  through 
pack-ice,  and  through  tloes  and  fields,  by  lofty  bergs, 
by  an  island  or  two  covered  with  penguins,  until  there 
lies  before  us  a  long  range  of  mountains,  nine  or  ten 
thousand  feet  in  height,  and  all  clad  in  eternal  snow. 
That  is  a  portion  of  the  Southern  Continent.  Lieu- 
tenant Wilkes,  in  the  American  exploring  expedition, 
first  discovered  this,  and  mapped  out  some  part  of  the 
coast,  putting  a  few  clouds  in  likewise — a  mistake 
easily  made  by  those  who  omit  to  verify  every  foot  of 
land.  Sir  James  Ross,  in  his  most  successful  South 
Pole  Expedition,  during  the  years  1839-43,  sailed  over 
some  of  this  land,  and  confirmed  the  rest.  The  Ant- 
arctic, as  well  as  the  Arctic  honours  he  secured  for 
England,  by  turning  a  corner  of  the  land,  and  sailing 
far  southward,  along  an  impenetrable  icy  barrier,  to 
the  latitude  of  seventy-eight  degrees,  nine  minutes.  It 
is  an  elevated  continent,  with  many  lofty  ranges.  On 
the  extreme  southern  point  reached  by  the  ships,  a 
magnificent  volcano  was  seen  spouting  fire  and  smoke 
out  of  the  everlasting  snow.  This  volcano,  twelve 
thousand  four  hundred  feet  high,  was  named  Mount 
Erebus;  for  the  Erebus  and  Terror  long  sought 
anxiously  among  tlie  bays,  and  sounds,  and  creeks  of 
the  North  Pole,  then  coasted  by  the  solid  ice  walls  of 
the  south. 


y- 


I     < 


■'V 


VOYAGES   IN    SEARCH   OF   THE 
NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE. 

% 

A   DISCOURSE    WRITTEN    BY    SIR    HUM- 
PHREY  GILBERT,  KNIGHT. 

To  prove  a  Passage  hy  the  North-Weat  to  Cathay 
m.      and  the  East  Indies, 


CHAPTER  I. 

TO  PROVE  BY  AUTHORITY  A  PASSAGE  TO  BE  ON  THE 
NORTH  SIDE  OF  AMERICA,  TO  GO  TO  CATHAY 
AND  THE  EAST  INDIES. 

"When  I  gave  mys«^lf  to  the  study  of  geography,  after 
I  had  perused  and  diligently  scanned  the  descriptions 
of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  and  conferred  them  with 
the  maps  and  globes  both  antique  and  modern,  I  came 
in  fine  to  the  fourth  part  of  the  world,  commonly  called 
America,  which  by  all  descriptions  I  found  to  be  an 
island  environed  round  about  with  the  sea,  having  on 
the  south  side  of  it  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  on  the 
west  side  the  Mare  de  Sur,  which  sea  runneth  towards 
the  north,  separating  it  from  the  east  parts  of  Asia, 
where  the  dominions  of  the  Cathaians  are.  On  the 
east  part  our  west  ocean,  and  on  the  north  side  the 
sea  that  severeth  it  from  Greenland,  through  which 


26  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

nortliern  seas  the  passage  lieth,  which  I  take  now  in 
li;ind  to  discover.  v  . 

Plato  in  his  Timnetis  arj  in  the  dialogue  called 
Critias,  discourses  of  an  incomparable  great  island 
then  called  Atlantis,  being  greater  than  all  Africa  and 
Asia,  which  lay  westward  from  the  Straits  of 
Gibraltar,  navigable  round  about :  affirming,  also,  that 
the  princes  of  Atlantis  did  as  well  enjoy  the  govern- 
ance of  all  Africa  and  the  most  part  of  Europe  as  of 
Atlantis  itself. 

Also  to  prove  Plato's  opinion  of  this  isl«(!hd,  and  the 
inhabiting  of  it  in  ancient  time  by  them  of  Europe,  tv^ 
^be  of  the  more  credit :  Marinseus  Siculus,  in  his 
Chronicle  of  Spain.,  reporteth  that  there  hath  been 
found  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  gold  mines  of  America 
certain  pieces  of  money,  engraved  with  the  image  of 
Augustus  Caesar ;  which  pieces  were  sent  to  the  Pope 
for  a  testimony  of  the  matter  by  John  Ruf us,  Arch- 
bishop of  Constantinum. 

Moreover,  this  was  not  only  thought  of  Plato,  but 
by  Marsilius  Ficinus,  r^n  excellent  Florentine  philoso- 
pher, Crantor  the  Grecian,  Proclus,  also  Philo  the 
famous  Jew  (as  appeareth  in  his  book  De  Mundo,  and 
in  the  Commentaries  upon  Plato),  to  be  overflown,  and 
swallowed  up  with  water,  by  reason  of  a  mighty  earth- 
quake and  streaming  down  of  the  heavenly  flood  gates. 
The  like  thereof  happened  unto  some  part  of  Italy,, 
when  by  the  f  orcibleness  of  the  sea,  called  Superum,  it 
cut  off  Sicily  from  the  continent   of    Calabria,    as 


*       THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  27 

Mppoareth  in  Justin  in  the  beginning  of  his  fourth 
l)()ok.  Also  there  chanced  the  like  in  Zeeland,  a  part 
of  Flanders. 

And  also  the  cities  of  Pyrrha  and  Antissa,  aboflt 
.Palus  Meotis ;  and  also  the  city  Burys,  in  the  Oorin-  , 
tliian  Gulf,  commonly  called  Sinus  Corinthiacus, 
liavo  been  swallowed  up  with  the  sea,  and  are  not  a<J* 
this  day  to  be  discerned  :  by  which  accident  America 
grew  to  be  unknown,  of  long  time,  unto  us  of  the  later 
ages,  and  was  lately  discovered  again  by  Americus 
Vespucius,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1497,  whicli  some 
say  to  have  been  first  discovered  by  Christopher 
Columbus,  a  Genoese,  Anno  1492. 

The  same  calamity  happened  unto  this  isle  of 
Atlantis  six  hundred  and  odd  years  before  Plato's 
time,  which  some  of  the  people  of  the  south-east  parts  . 
of  the  world  accounted  as  nine  thousand  years ;  for  the 
manner  then  was  to  reckon  the  moon's  period  of  the 
Zodiac  for  a  year,  which  is  our  usual  month,  depending 
a  Luminari  minore. 

So  that  in  these  our  days  there  can  no  other  main 
or  island  be  found  or  judged  to  be  parcel  of  this 
Atlantis  than  those  western  islands,  which  now  bear 
the  name  of  America ;  countervailing  thereby  the  name 
of  Atlantis  in  the  knowledge  of  our  age. 

Then,  if  when  no  part  of  the  said  Atlantis  was  op- 
pressed by  water  and  earthquake,   the  coasts  round  j 
about  the  same  were  navigable,  a  far  greater  hope 
now  remaineth  of  the  same  by  the  north-west,  seeing 


/'~f^ 


28  VOYAGES  IN  SEAECH  OP  V       * 

the  most  part  of  it  was  since  that  time  swallowed  up 
with  water,  which  could  not  utterly  take  away  the 
old  deeps  and  channels,  but,  rather,  be  an  occasion  of 
tlfe  enlarging  of  the  old,  and  also  an  enforcing  of  a 
great  many  new ;  why  then  should  we  now  doubt  of 
our  North- West  Passage  and  navigation  from  England 
TO  India,  etc.,  seeing  that  Atlantis,  now  called 
America,  was  ever  known  to  be  an  island,  and  in  those 
days  navigable  round  about,  which  by  access  of  more 
water  could  not  be  diminished  ? 

Also  Aristotle  in  his  book  De  Mundo,  and  the 
learned  German,  Simon  Gryneus,  in  his  annotations 
upon  the  same,  saith  that  the  whole  earth  (meaning 
thereby,  as  manifestly  doth  appear,  Asia,  Africa,  and 
Europe,  being  all  the  countries  then  known)  to  be  but 
one  island,  compassed  about  with  the  reach  of  the 
Atlantic  sea ;  which  likewise  appro veth  America  to  be 
an  island,  and  in  no  part  adjoining  to  Asia  or  the  rest. 

Also  many  ancient  writers,  as  Strabo  and  others, 
called  both  the  ocean  sea  (which  lieth  east  of  India) 
Atlanticum  Pelagus,  and  that  sea  also  on  the  west 
coasts  of  Spain  and  Africa,  Mare  Atlanticum ;  the 
distance  between  the  two  coasts  is  almost  half  the 
compass  of  the  eartli. 

So  that  it  is  incredible,  as  by  Plato  appeareth 
manifestly,  that  the  East  Indian  Sea  had  the  name 
of  Atlanticum  Pelagus,  of  the  mountain  Atlas  in 
Africa,  or  yet  the  sea  adjoining  to  Africa  liad  name 
Oceanus  Atlanticus,  of  the  same  mountain ;  but  that 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  29 

those  seas  and  the  mountain  Atlas  were  so  called  of 
this  great  island  Atlantis,  and  that  the  one  and  the 
other  had  their  names  for  a  memorial  of  the  mighty 
Prince  Atlas,  sometime  king  thereof,  who  was  Japhet, 
youngest  son  to  Noah,  in  whose  time  the  whole  earth 
was  divided  between  the  three  brethren,  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japhet. 

Wherefore  I  ««i  of  opinion  that  America  by  the 
north-west  will  be  found  favoura  jle  to  this  our  enter- 
prise, and  am  the  rather  emboldened  to  believe  the 
same,  for  that  I  find  it  not  only  confirmed  by  Plato, 
Aristotle,  and  other  ancient  philosophers,  but  also  by 
the  best  modem  geographers,  a^  Gemma  Frisius, 
Munsterus,  Appianus  Hunterus,  Gastaldus,  Guyccar- 
dinus,  Michael  Tramesinus,  Franciscus  Demongenitus, 
Barnardus,  Puteanus,  Andreas  Yavasor,  Tramontanus, 
Petrus  Martyr,  and  also  Ortelius,  ^who  doth  coast  out 
in  his  general  map  (set  out  Anno  1569)  all  the 
countries  and  capes  on  the  north-west  side  of  America, 
from  Hochelega  to  Cape  de  Paramantia,  describing 
likewise  the  sea-coasts  of  Cathay  and  Greenland, 
towards  any  part  of  America,  making  both  Greenland 
and  America  islands  disjoined  by  a  great  sea  from  any 
part  of  Asia. 

All  which  learned  men  and  painful  travellers  have 
affirmed  with  one  consent  and  voice,  that  America  was 
an  island,  and  that  there  lieth  a  great  sea  between  it, 
Cathay,  and  Greenland,  by  the  whicii  any  man  of  our 
country  that  will  give  the  attempt,  may  with  small 


80  '     VOYAGES  IN  SEAKCH  OF    . 

danger  pass  to  Cathay,  the  Moluccas,  ludia,  and  all 
other  places  in  the  east  m  much  shorter  time  than 
either  the  Spaniard  or  Portuguese  doth,  or  may  do,  from 
the  nearest  part  of  any  of  their  countries  within  Europe. 

What  moved  these  learned  men  to  aiErm  thus  much 
I  know  not,  or  to  what  end  so  many  and  sundry 
travellers  of  both  ages  have  allowed  the  same ;  but  I 
conjecture  that  they  would  never  have  so  constantly 
affirmed,  or  notified  their  opinions  therein  to  the  world, 
if  they  had  not  had  great  good  cause,  and  many 
probable  reasons  to  have  led  them  thereunto. 

Now  lest  you  should  make  small  account  of  ancient 
writers  or  of  their  expei^ences  which  travelled  long 
before  our  times,  reckoning  their  authority  amongst 
fables  of  no  importance,  I  have  for  the  better 
assurance  of  those  proofs  set  down  some  part  of  a  dis- 
course, written  in  the  Saxon  tongue,  and  translated 
into  English  by  Master  Noel,  servant  to  Master 
Secretary  Cecil,  wherein  there  is  described  a  naviga- 
tion which  one  Ochther  made,  in  the  time  of  King 
Alfred,  King  of  "Wessex,  Anno  871,  the  words  of  which 
discourse  were  these  :  "  He  sailed  right  north,  having 
always  the  desert  land  on  the  starboard,  and  on  the 
larboard  the  main  sea,  continuing  his  course,  until  he 
perceived  that  the  coast  bowed  directly  towards  the 
east  or  else  the  sea  opened  into  the  land  he  could  not 
tell  how  far,  where  he  was  compelled  to  stay  until  he 
had  a  western  wind  or  somewhat  upon  the  north,  and 
sailed  thence  directly  east  along  the  coast,  so  far  as  he 


THE  NOBTU-WEST  PABSAGE.  31 

was  able  in  four  days,  where  he  was  again  enforced  to 
tarry  until  he  had  a  north  wind,  because  the  coast 
there  bowed  directly  towards  the  south,  or  at  least 
opened  he  knew  not  how  far  into  the  land,  so  that  he 
sailed  thence  along  the  coast  continually  full  south,  so 
far  as  he  could  travel  in  the  space  of  five  days,  where 
he  discovered  a  mighty  rivor  which  opened  far  into 
the  land,  and  in  the  entry  of  this  river  he  turned  back 
again."  >  • :.   . 

Whereby  it  appeareth  that  he  went  the  very  same 
way  that  we  now  do  yearly  trade  by  S.  Nicholas  into 
Muscovia,  which  way  no  man  in  our  age  knew  for 
certainty  to  be  sea,  until  it  was  since  discovered  by  our 
Englishmen  in  the  time  of  King  Edward  I.,  but 
thought  before  that  time  that  Greenland  had  joined  to 
Normoria  Byarmia,  and  therefore  was  accounted  a 
new  discovery,  being  nothing  so  indeed,  as  by  this  dis- 
course of  Ochther's  it  appeareth. 

Nevertheless  if  any  man  should  have  taken  this 
voyage  in  hand  by  the  encouragement  of  this  only 
author,  he  should  have  been  thought  but  simple,  con- 
sidering that  this  navigation  was  written  so  many  years 
past,  in  so  barbarous  a  tongue  by  one  only  obscure 
author,  and  yet  we  in  these  our  days  find  by  our  own 
experiences  his  former  reports  to  be  true. 

How  much  more,  then,  ought  we  to  believe  this 
passage  to  Cathay  to  be,  being  verified  by  the  opinions 
of  all  the  best,  both  antique  and  modem  geographers, 
and  plainly  set  out  in  the  best  and  most  allowed  maps, 


32  '       VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

charts,  globes,  cosmographical  tables,  and  discourses  of 
this  our  age  and  by  the  rest  not  denied,  but  left  as  a 
matter  doubtful.        ^ 

CHAPTER  II. 
1.  All  seas  are  maintained  by  the  abundance  of 
water,  so  that  the  nearer  the  end  any  river,  bay,  or 
haven  is,  the  shallower  it  waxeth  (although  by  some 
accidental  bar  it  is  sometime  found  otherwise),  but  the 
farther  you  sail  west  from  Iceland,  towards  the  place 
where  this  strait  is  thought  to  be,  the  more  deep  are 
the  seas,  which  giveth  us  good  hope  of  continuance  of 
the  same  sea,  with  Mare  del  Sur,  by  some  strait  that 
lieth  between  America,  Greenland,  and  Cathay. 

2.  Also,  if  that  America  were  not  an  island,  but  a 
part  of  the  continent  adjoining  to  Asia,  either  the 
people  which  inhabit  Mangia,  Anian,  and  Quinzay,  etc., 
being  borderers  upon  it,  would  before  this  time  have 
made  some  road  into  it,  hoping  to  have  found  some 
like  commodities  to  their  own. 

3.  Or  else  the  Syrians  and  Tartars  (which  often- 
times heretofore  have  sought  far  and  near  for  new 
seats,  driven  thereunto  through  the  necessity  of  their 
cold  and  miserable  countries)  would  in  all  this  time 
have  found  the  way  to  America  and  entered  the  same 
had  the  passages  been  never  so  strait  or  difficult,  the 
country  being  so  temperate,  pleasant,  and  fruitful  in 
comparison  of  their  own.  But  there  was  never  any 
such  people  found  there  by  any  of  the   Spaniards, 


THE  NOETH-WEST  PAS8AQE.  33 

Portuguese,  or  Frenchmen,  who  first  discovered  the  in- 
land of  that  country,  which  Spaniards  or  Frenchmen 
must  then  o£  necessity  have  seen  some  one  civilised  man 
iu  America,  considering  how  full  of  civilised  people  Asia 
is ;  but  they  never  saw  so  much  as  one  token  or  sign 
that  ever  any  man  of  the  known  part  of  the  world  had 
been  there. 

4.  Furthermore,  it  is  to  be  thought,  that  if  by  reason 
of  mountains  or  other  craggy  places  the  people  neither 
of  Cathay  or  Tartary  could  enter  the  country  of 
America,  or  they  of  America  have  entered  Asia  if  it 
were  so  joined,  yet  some  one  savage  or  wandering 
beas^  would  in  so  many  years  have  passed  into  it ;  but 
tliere  hath  not  any  time  been  found  any  of  the  beasts 
proper  to  Cathay  or  Tartary,  etc.,  in  America ;  nor  of 
those  proper  to  America  in  Tartary,  Cathay,  etc.,  or  in 
any  part  of  Asia,  which  thing  proveth  America  not 
only  to  be  one  island,  and  in  no  part  aidjoiiiing  to  Asia, 
but  also  that  the  people  of  those  countries  have  not  had 
any  traffic  with  each  other. 

5.  Moreover  at  tlie  least  some  one  of  those  painful 
travellers  which  of  purpose  have  passed  the  confines  of 
both  countries,  with  intent  only  to  discover,  would,  as 
it  is  most  likely,  have  gene  from  the  one  to  the  other, 
if  tliere  had  been  any  piece  of  land,  or  isthmus,  to  have 
joined  them  together,  or  else  ha\e  declared  some  cause 
to  the  contrary. 

6.  But  neither  Paulus  Yenetus,  wtio  lived  smd  dwelt  a 
long  time  in  Catha^%  ever  came  into  America,  and  y^ 

B— 35 


34  TOYAaES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

ft 

was  at  the  sea  coasts  of  Mangia  over  against  it,  where 
he  was  embarked  and  performed  a  great  navigation 
along  those  seas ;  neither  yet  Yeratzanus  or  Franciscus 
Vasquez  de  Coronado,  who  travelled  the  north  part  of 
America  by  land,  ever  found  entry  from  thence  by  land 
to  Cathay,  or  any  part  of  Asia.  ^ 

7.  Also  it  appeareth  to  be  an  island,  insomuch  as  the 
sea  runneth  by  nature  circularly  from  the  east  to  the  west, 
following  the  diurnal  motion  of  the  Trimwm  Mobile, 
and  carrieth  with  it  all  inferior  bodies  movable,  as  well 
celestial  as  elemental ;    which  motion  of  the  waters  is 
most  evidently  seen  in  the  sea,   which   lieth   on  the 
south  side  of  Africa,  where  the  current  that  runneth 
from  the  east  to  the  west  is  so  strong  (by  reason  of 
such  motion)  that  the  Portuguese  in  their  voyages  east- 
ward to  Calicut,  in  passing  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
are  enforced  to  make  divers  courses,  the  current  there 
being  so  swift,  as  it  striketh  from  thence,  all  along 
westward,  upon  the  straits  of  Magellan,  being  distant 
from  thence  near  the  fourth  part  of  the  longitude  of 
the  earth  :  and  not  having  free  passage  and  entrance 
through  that  frith  towards  the  west,  by  reason  of  the 
narrowness  of  the  said  strait  of  Magellan,  it  runneth  to 
salve  this  wrong  (Nature  not  yielding  to  accidental  re- 
straints) all  along  the  eastern  coasts  of  America  north- 
wards so  far  as  Cape  Frido,  being  the  farthest  known 
place  of  the  same  continent  towards  the  north,  which  is 
about  four  thousand  eight  hundred  leagues,  reckoning 
therewithal  the  trending  of  the  land. 


f 


THE  KOBTH-WEST  PASSAQB.  35 

8.  So  that  this  current,  being  continuallj  maintained 
with  snch  force  as  Jacques  Gartier  affirmeth  it  to  be, 
who  met  with  the  same,  being  at  Baccalaos  as  he 
sailed  along  the  coasts  of  America,  then,  either  it 
must  of  necessity  have  way  to  pass  from  Cape  Frido 
through  this  frith,  westward  towards  Cathay,  being 
known  to  come  so  far  only  to  salve  his  former  wrongs 
by  the  authority  before  named ;  or  else  it  must  needs 
strike  over  upon  the  coast  of  Iceland,  Lapland,  Fin- 
mark,  and  Norway  (which  are  east  from  the  said 
place  about  three  hundred  and  sixty  leagues)  with 
greater  force  than  it  did  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
upon  the  strait  of  Magellan,  or  from  the  strait  of 
Magellan  to  Cape  Frido ;  upon  which  coasts  Jacques 
Cartier  met  with  the  same,  considering  the  shortness  of 
the  cut  from  the  said  Cape  Erido  to  Iceland,  Lapland, 
etc.  And  so  the  cause  efficient  remaining,  it  would 
have  continually  followed  along  our  coasts  through  the 
narrow  seas,  which  it  doeth  not,  but  is  digested  about 
the  north  of  Labrador  by  some  through  passage  there 
through  this  frith. 

The  like  course  of  the  water,  in  some  respect,  hap- 
peneth  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea  (as  affirmeth  Conte- 
renus),  where,  as  the  current  which  cometh  from 
Tanais  and  the  Euxine,  running  along  all  the  coasts 
of  Greece,  Italy,  France,  and  Spain,  and  not  finding 
sufficient  way  out  through  Gibraltar  by  means  of  the 
straitness  of  the  frith,  it  runneth  back  again  along  the 
coasts  of  Barbary  by  Alexandria,  Katolia,  etc. 


f 


36  VOYAGES   IN   BEAlKCU   OF 

<  It  may,  purad venture,  be  thought  that  this  course  of 
the  sea  doth  sometime  surceaso  and  thoroby  impugn 
thiN  principle,  because  it  is  not  discerm^d  all  along  the 
couHt  of  America  in  sucli  sort  as  Jacques  Cartior  found 
it,  whereunto  I  answer  this  :  That  albeit  in  every  part 
of  the  coast  of  America  or  elsewhere  this  current  is  not 
sensibly  perceived,  yet  it  hath  evermore  such  like 
motion,  oitlior  the  uppermost  or  neth(>rmo8t  part  of  the 
8oa ;  as  it  may  be  proved  true,  if  you  sink  a  sail  by  a 
couple  of  ropes  near  the  ground,  fasii'uing  to  the 
uethormost  corners  two  gun  chambers  or  otluT  weights, 
by  the  driving  whereof  you  shall  plainly  perceive  the 
^course  of  the  water  and  current  running  with  such 
like  course  in  iiie  bottom.  By  the  like  experiment  you 
may  find  the  ordinary  motion  of  the  sea  in  the  ocean, 
how  far  soever  you  be  ofE  the  land. 

9.  Alsoy  there  cometh  another  curr(>nt  from  out  the 
north-east  from  the  Scythian  Sea  (as  Muster  Jeiitin- 
sou,  a  man  of  rare  virtue,  great  travel,  and  experience, 
told  me),  which  runneth  westward  towards  Labrador,  as 
the  other  did  which  cometh  from  the  south ;  so  that 
both  these  currents  must  have  way  through  this  our 
strait,  or  else  encounter  together  and  run  contrary 
courses  in  one  line,  but  no  such  conflicts  of  streams  or 
contrary  courses  are  found  about  any  part  of  Labrador 
or  Newfoundland,  as  witness  our  yearly  fishers  and 
other  sailors  that  way,  but  is  there  separated  as  afore- 
said, and  found  by  the  experience  of  Barnarde  de  la 
Torre  to  fall  into  Mare  del  Sur. 


.  THE  N0BTH-WB8T  PASSAGE.  i)7 

10.  Furthermore,  the  cnrrent  in  the  great  ocean 
could  not  have  been  maintained  to  ran  contintially  one 
way  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  nnto  this  day, 
liad  tliore  not  boon  some  through  passage  by  the 
strait  aforesaid,  and  so  by  circular  motion  be  brought 
again  to  maintain  itself,  for  the  tides  and  conrsos  of  the 
Hoa  are  maintained  by  their  interchangeable  motions, 
as  fresh  rivers  are  by  springs,  by  ebbing  and  flowing, 
by  rarefaction  and  condensation. 

So  tliat  it  resteth  not  possible  (so  far  as  my  simple 
reason  can  comprehend)  that  this  perpetual  current 
can  by  any  means  be  maintained,  but  only  by  a  con- 
tinual reaccess  of  the  same  water,  which  passeth 
through  the  strait,  and  is  brought  about  thither  again 
by  such  circular  motion  as  aforesaid,  and  the  certain  fall- 
ing thereof  by  this  strait  into  Mare  del  Sur  is  proved 
by  the  testimony  and  experience  of  Bamarde  de  la 
Torre,  who  was  sent  from  P.  de  la  Natividad  to  the 
Moluccas,  1542,  by  commandment  of  Anthony  Mendoza, 
then  Viceroy  of  Nova  Hispania,  which  Bamarde  sailed 
750  leagues  on  the  north  side  of  the  Equator,  and  there 
met  with  a  current  which  came  from  the  north-east,  the 
which  drove  him  back  again  to  Tidore. 

Wherefore  this  current  being  proved  to  come  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the  strait  of  Magellan,  and 
wanting  sufficient  entrance  there,  is  by  the  necessity 
of  Nature's  force  brought  to  Terra  de  Labrador, 
where  Jacques  Cartier  met  the  same,  and  thence 
certainly  known    not    to  strike  over   upon   Iceland, 


I , 


88  ,    YOTAOES  IS  SB  ABC  H  OF    i.. 

Lapland,  etc.,  and  found  by  Bamarde  de  la  Torre,  in 
Mare  del  Sur,  on  the  backside  of  America,  therefore 
this  current,  having  none  other  passage,  must  of  necessity- 
fall  out  through  this  strait  into  Mare  del  Sur,  and  so 
trending  by  the  Moluccas,  OhinI,  and  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  maintaineth  itself  by  circular  motion,  which  is 
all  one  in  Nature  with  motus  ab  oriente  in  occidentem. 
So  that  it  seemeth  we  have  now  more  occasion  to 
doubt  of  our  return  than  whether  there  be  a  passage 
that  way,  yea  or  no :  which  doubt  hereafter  shall  bo 
sufficiently  removed ;  wherefore,  in  my  opinion,  reason 
itself  grounded  upon  experience  assureth  us  of  this 
passage  if  there  were  nothing  else  to  put  us  in  hope 

thereof.  But  lest  these  might  not  suffice,  I  have  added 
in  this  chapter  following  some  further  proof  thereof, 
by  the  experience  of  such  as  have  passed  some  part  of 
this  discovery,  and  in  the  next  adjoining  to  that  the 
authority  of  those  which  have  sailed  wholly  through 
every  part  thereof. 


CHAPTER  in. 

* 

TO  PROVE  BY  EXPERIENCE  OF  SUNDRY  MEN's 
TRAVELS  THE  OPENING  OF  SOME  PART  OF 
THIS  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE,  WHEREBY  GOOD 
HOPE   REMAINETH  OF   THE   REST. 

1.  Paulus  Venetus,  who  dwelt  many  years  in  Cathay, 
affirmed  that  he  had  sailed  1,500  miles  upon  the  coast 
of  Mangia  and  Anian,  towards  the  north-east,  always 


'  THE  NOBTH-WEST   PASSAGE .  8^ 

finding  the  seas  open  before  him,  not  only  as  far  as  he 
went,  but  also  as  far  as  he  could  discern. 

2.  Also  Franciscus  Yasquez  de  Coronado,  passing 
from  Mexico  by  Cevola,  through  the  country  of  Quiver 
to  Sierra  Nevada,  found^here  a  great  sea,  wliere  were 
certain  ships  laden  with  merchandise,  the  mariners 
wearing  on  their  heads  the  pictures  of  certain  birds 
called  Alcatrarzi,  part  whereof  were  made  of  gold  and 
part  of  silver  ;  wlio  signified  by  signs  that  they  were 
thirty  days  coming  thither,  which  likewise  proveth 
America  by  experience  to  be  disjoined  from  Cathay,  oa 
that  part,  by  a  great  sea,  because  they  could  not  come 
from  any  part  of  America  as  natives  thereof ;  for  that, 
so  far  as  is  discovered,  there  hath  not  been  found  there 
any  one  ship  of  tliat  country. 

3.  In  like  manner,  Johann  Baros  testifieth  that 
the  cosmographers  of  China  (where  he  himself  liad 
been)  affirm  that  the  sea  coast  trendeth  from  thence 
north-east  to  fifty  degrees  of  septentrional  latitude, 
being  the  farthest  part  that  way,  which  the  Portuguese 
had  then  knowledge  of ;  and  that  the  said  cosmographers 
knew  no  cause  to  the  contrary,  but  that  it  might  con- 
tinue farther. 

By  whose  experiences  America  is  proved  to  be  sepa- 
rate from  those  parts  of  Asia,  directly  against  the 
same.  And  not  contented  with  the  judgments  of  these 
learned  men  only,  I  have  searched  what  might  be  f ur- 
tlier  said  for  the  confirmation  hereof. 

4.  And  I  found  that  Franciscus  Lopez  de  Gomara 


40  VOYAGES  IN   SEARCH   OF 

affirmetli  America  to  be  an  island,  and  likewise  Green- 
land; and  that  Greenland  is  distant  from  Lapland 
forty  leagues,  and  from  Terra  de  Labrador  fifty. 

5.  Moreover  Alvarez  Nmmiius,  a  Spaniard,  and 
learned  cosmographer,  and  Jacques  Cartier,  who  made 
two  voyages  into  those  parts,  and  sailed  five  hundred 
miles  upon  the  north-east  coasts  oi  America. 

6.  Likewise  Hieronimus  Fracastorius,  a  learned 
Italian,  and  traveller  in  the  north  parts  of  the  same  land. 

7.  Also  Jacques  Cartier,  having  done  the  like,  heard 
e&j  at  Hochelaga,  in  Nova  Francia,  how  that  there  was 
a  great  sea  at  Saguinay,  whereof  the  end  was  not 
known :  which  they  presupposed  to  be  the  passage  to 
Ofethay.  Furthermore,  Sebastian  Cabot,  by  his  personal 
experience  and  travel,  has  set  forth  and  described  this 
passage  in  his  charts  which  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  the 
Queen's  Majesty's  Privy  Gallery  at  Whitehall,  who  was 
sent  to  make  this  discovery  by  King  Henry  YII.  and 
entered  the  same  straits,  affirming  that  he  sailed  very 
far  westward  with  a  quarter  of  the  north,  on  the  north 
side  of  Terra  de  Labrador,  the  11th  of  June,  until  he 
came  to  the  septentrional  latitude  of  sixty-seven  and  a 
half  degrees,  and  finding  the  seas  still  open,  said,  that 
he  might  and  would  have  gone  to  Cathay  if  the  mutiny 
of  the  master  and  mariners  had  not  been. 

Now,  as  these  men's  experience  have  proved  some 
part  of  this  passage,  so  the  chapter  following  shall 
put  you  in  full  assurance  of  the  rest  by  their  experier  ces 
which  have  passed  through  every  part  thereof. 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAOE.  41 

CHAPTER  ly. 

TO  PROVE  BY  CIRCUMSTANCE  THAT  THE  NORTH- 
WEST PASSAGE  HATH  BEEN  SAILED  THROUGH- 
OUT. 

The  diversity  between  brute  beasts  and  men,  or  be- 
tween the  wise  and  the  simple,  is,  that  the  one  judgeth 
by  sense  only,  and  gathereth  no  surety  of  anything  that 
he  hath  not  seen,  felt,  heard,  tasted,  or  smelled  :  and 
the  other  not  so  only,  but  also  findeth  the  certainty  of 
things,  by  reason,  before  they  happen  to  be  tried,  where- 
fore I  have  added  proofs  of  both  sorts,  that  the  one  and 
tlie  other  might  thereby  be  satisfied. 

1.  First,  as  Gemma  Frisius  reciteth,  there  went  from 
Europe  three  brethren  through  this  passage :  whereof 
it  took  the  name  of  Fretum  trium  f  ratrum. 

2.  Also  Pliny  affirmeth  out  of  Cornelius  Nepos  (who 
wrote  fifty-seven  years  before  Christ)  that  there  were 
certain  Indians  driven  by  tempest  upon  the  coast  of 
Germany  which  were  presented  by  the  King  of  Suevia 
unto  Quintus  Metellus  Celer,  then  Pro-Consulof  France. 

3.  And  Pliny  upon  the  same  saith  that  it  is  no  marvel, 
though  there  be  sea  by  the  north,  where  there  is  such 
abundance  of  moisture ;  which  argueth,  that  he  doubted 
not  of  a  navigable  passage  that  way,  through  which 
those  Indians  came. 

4.  And  for  the  better  proof  that  the  same  authority 
of  Cornelius  Nepos  is  not  by  me  wrested  to  prove 
my  opinion  of  the  North-West  Passage,  you  shall  find 


42  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF  :, 

the  same  affirmed  more  plainly  in  that  behalf  by  the 
'  excellent  geographer  Dominicus  Marius  Niger,  who 
showeth  how  many  ways  the  Indian  sea  stretchetli 
itself ,  making  in  that  place  recital  of  certain  Indians 
that  were  likewise  driven  through  the  north  seas  from 
India,  upon  the  coasts  of  Germany,  by  great  tempest, 
as  they  were  sailing  in  trade  of  merchandise. 

5.  AlsOjWhiles  Frederick  Barbarossa  reigned  Emperor, 
A.  D.  1160,  there  came  certain  other  Indians  upon  the 
coast  of  Germany. 

6.  Likewise  Othon,  in  the  story  of  the  Goths,  affirmeth 
that  in  the  time  of  the  German  Emperors  there  were 
also  certain  Indians  cast  by  force  of  weather  upon  the 
coast  of  the  said  country,  which  foresaid  Indians  could 
not  possibly  have  come  by  the  south-east,  south-west, 
nor  from  any  part  of  Africa  or  America,  nor  yet  by  the 
north-east :  therefore  they  came  of  necessity  by  this 
our  North- West  Passage. 


CHAPTER  y. 


TO  PROVE  THAT  THESE  INDIANS,  AFORENAMED, 
CAME  NOT  BY  THE  SOUTH-EAST,  SOUTH-WEST, 
NOR  FROM  ANY  OTHER  PART  OF  AFRICA  OR 
AMERICA. 

1,  They  could  not  come  from  the  south-east  by  the 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  because  the  roughness  of  the 

■  seas  there  is  such — occasioned  by  the  currents  and 

great  winds  in  that  part — that  the  greatest  armadas 


^  ,•■'••■  '  .  /^T 

THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  43 

I  ■ 

the  King  of  Portugal  hath  cannot  without  great 
difficulty  pass  that  way,  much  less,  then,  a  canoe  of 
India  could  live  in  those  outrageous  seas  without  ship- 
wreck, being  a  vessel  but  of  very  small  burden,  and 
the  Indians  have  conducted  themselves  to  the  place 
aforesaid,  being  men  unexpert  in  the  art  of  navigation. 

2.  Also,  it  appeareth  plainly  that  they  were  not 
able  to  come  from  along  the  coast  of  Africa  aforesaid 
to  those  parts  of  Europe,  because  the  winds  do,  for  the 
most  part,  blow  there  easterly  or  from  the  shore,  and 
the  current  running  that  way  in  like  sort,  would  have 
driven  them  westward  upon  some  part  of  America,  for 
such  winds  and  tides  could  never  have  led  them  from 
thence  to  the  said  place  where  they  were  found,  nor 
yet  could  they  have  come  from  any  of  tlie  countries 
aforesaid,  keeping  the  seas  always,  without  skilful 
mariners  to  have  conducted  them  such  like  courses  as 
were  necessary  to  perform  such  a  voyage. 

3.  Presupposing  also,  if  they  had  been  driven  to  the 
west,  as  they  must  have  been,  coming  that  way,  then 
they  should  have  perished,  wanting  supply  of  victuals, 
not  having  any  place — once  leaving  the  coast  of  Africa 
— ^until  they  came  to  America,  north  of  America, 
until  they  arrived  upon  some  part  of  Europe  or  the 
islands  adjoining  to  it  to  have  refreshed  themselves. 

4.  Also,  if,  notwithstanding  such  impossibilities, 
they  might  have  recovered  Germany  by  coming  from 
India  by  the  south-east,  yet  must  they  without  all 
doubt  have  struck  upon  some  other  part  of  Europe 


44  VOYAGES   IN   SEABCH  OF  '  ^.      ■    ' 

before  their  arrival  there,  as  the  isles  of  Madeira, 
Portugal,  Spain,  France,  England,  Ireland,  etc.,  which, 
if  they  had  done,  it  is  not  credible  that  they  should  or 
would  have  departed  undiscovered  of  the  inhabitants ; 
but  there  was  never  found  in  those  days  any  such  ship 
or  men,  but  only  upon  the  coasts  of  Germany,  where 
they  have  been  sundry  times  and  in  sundry  ages  cast 
ashore ;  neither  is  it  like  that  they  would  have  com- 
mitted themselves  again  to  sea,  if  they  had  so  arrived, 
not  knowing  whe^-e  they  were,  nor  whither  to  have  gone. 

5.  A^d  by  the  south-west  it  is  impossible,  because 
the  current  aforesaid,  which  cometh  from  the  east, 
striketh  with  such  force  upon  the  Straits  of  Magellan, 
and  falleth  with  such  swiftness  and  fury  into  Mare  de 
Sur,  that  hardly  any  ship— but  not  possibly  a  canoe, 
with  such  unskiKul  mariners — can  come  into  our 
western  ocean  through  that  strait  from  the  west  seas 
of  America,  as  Magellan's  experience  hath  partly 
taught  us. 

6.  And  further,  to  prove  that  these  people  so 
arriving  upon  the  coast  of  Germany  were  Indians,  and 
not  inhabiters  of  any  part  either  of  Africa  or 
America,  it  is  manifest,  because  the  natives,  both  of 
Africa  and  America,  neither  had,  or  have  at  this  day, 
as  is  reported,  other  kind  of  boats  than  such  as  do 
bear  neither  masts  nor  sails,  except  only  upon  the 
coasts  of  Barbary  and  the  Turks'  ships,  but  do  carry 
themselves  from  place  to  place  near  the  shore  by  the 
oar  only. 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  45 

CHAPTER  YI. 

TO  PBOVE  THAT  THOSE  INDIANS  CAME  NOT  BY  THE 
NOBTH-EAST,  AND  THAT  THEBE  IS  NO  THBOITGH 
NAVIGABLE  PASSAGE   THAT  WAT. 

1.  It  is  likely  that  there  should  be  no  through 
passage  by  the  north-east  whereby  to  go  round  about 
the  world,  because  all  seas,  as  aforesaid,  are  maintained 
by  the  abundance  of  water,  waxing  more  shallow  and 
shelving  towards  the  end,  as  we  find  it  doth,  by  ex- 
perience, in  the  Frozen  Sea,  towards  the  east,  which 
breedeth  small  hope  of  any  great  continuance  %i  that 
sea  to  be  navigable  towards  the  east,  sufficient  to  sail 
thereby  round  about  the  world. 

2.  Also,  it  standeth  scarcely  with  reason  that  the 
Indians  dwelling  under  the  Torrid  Zone  could  endure 
the  injury  of  the  cold  air,  about  the  northern  latitude 
of  80  degrees,  under  which  elevation  the  passage  by  the 
north-east  cannot  be,  as  the  often  experiences  had  of 
aU  the  south  parts  of  it  showeth,  seeing  that  some  of  the 
inhrfMtants  of  this  cold  climate,  whose  summer  is  to 
them  an  extreme  winter,  have  been  stricken  to  death 
with  the  cold  damps  of  the  air,  about  72  degrees,  by  an 
accidental  mishap,  and  yet  the  air  in  such  like  eleva- 
tion is  always  cold,  and  too  cold  for  such  as  the 
Indians  are. 

3.  Furthermore,  the  piercing  cold  of  the  gross  thick 
sir  80  near  the  Pole  will  so  stiffen  the  sails  and  ship 
tackling,  that  no  mariner  can  either  hoist  or  strike 


46  VOYAGES  IN  SEAECH  OF  ^   . 

them — as  our  experience,  far  nearer  the  south  than 
this  passage  is  presupposed  to "  be,  hath  taught  us — 
without  the  use  whereof  no  voyage  can  be  per- 
formed. 

4.  Also,  the  air  is  so  darkened  with  continual  m'^ts 
and  fogs  so  near  the  Pole,  that  no  man  can  well  bee 
either  to  guide  his  ship  or  to  direct  his  course. 

5.  Also  the  compass  at  such  elevation  doth  ^^ery 
suddenly  vary,  which  things  must  of  force  have  been 
their  destruction,  although  they  had  been  men  of 
much  more  skill  than  the  Indians  are. 

6.  Mtreover,  all  bays,  gulfs,  and  rivers  do  receive 
their  increase  upon  the  flood,  sensibly  to  be  discerned 
on  the  one  side  of  the  shore  or  the  other,  as  many  ways 
as  they  be  open  to  any  main  sea,  as  the  Mediterranean, 
the  Red  Sea,  the  Persian  GuM,  Sinus  Bodicus,  the 
Thames,  and  all  other  known  havens  or  rivers  in  any 
part  of  the  world,  and  each  of  them  opening  but  on 
one  part  to  the  main  sea,  do  likewise  receive  their 
increase  upon  the  flood  the  same  way,  and  none  other, 
which  the  Frozen  Sea  doth,  only  by  the  west,  as 
Master  -  Jenkinson  affirmed  unto  me,  and  therefore  it 
foUoweth  that  this  north-east  sea,  receiving  increase 
only  from  the  west,  cannot  possibly  open  to  the  main 
ocean  by  the  east. 

7.  Moreover,  the  farther  you  pass  into  any  sea 
towards  the  end  of  it,  of  that  part  which  is  shut  up 
from,  the  main  sea,  as  in  all  those  above-mentioned,  the 
less  and  less  the  tides  rise  and  fall.    The  like  whereof 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  47 

also  happeneth  in  the  Frozen  Sea,  which  proreth  but 
small  continuance  of  that  sea  toward  the  east. 

8.  Also,  the  farther  ye  go  towards  the  east  in  the 
Frozen  Sea  the  less  soft  the  water  is,  which  could  not 
happen  if  it  were  open  to  the  salt  sea  towards  the 
past,  as  it  is  to  the  west  only,  seeing  everything 
naturally  engendereth  his  like,  and  then  must  it  be 
like  salt  throughout,  as  all  the  seas  are  in  such  like 
climate  and  elevation.  And  therefore  it  seemeth  that 
this  north-east  sea  is  maintained  by  the  river  Ob,  and 
such  like  freshets  as  the  Pontic  Sea  and  Mediterranean 
Sea,  in  the  uppermost  parts  thereof  by  the  rivef  Nile, 
the  Danube,  Dnieper,  Tanais,  etc. 

9.  Furthermore,  if  there  were  any  such  sea  at  that 
elevation,  of  like  it  should  be  always  frozen  throughout 
— there  being  no  tides  to  hinder  it — ^because  the  ex- 
treme coldness  of  the  air  in  the  uppermost  part,  and 
the  extreme  coldness  of  the  earth  in  the  bottom,  the  sea 
there  being  but  of  small  depth,  whereby  the  one  acci- 
dental coldness  doth  meet  with  the  other ;  and  the  sun, 
not  having  his  reflection  so  near  the  Pole,  but  at  very 
blunt  angles,  it  can  never  be  dissolved  after  it  is  frozen, 
nothwithstanding  the  great  length  of  their  day:  for 
that  the  sun  hath  no  heat  at  all  in  his  light  or  beams, 
but  proceeding  only  by  an  accidental  reflection  which 
there  wanteth  in  effect. 

10.  And  yet  if  the  sun  were  of  sufficient  force  in 
that  elevation  to  prevail  against  this  ice,  yet  must  it 
be  broken  before  it  can  be  dissolved,  which  cannot  be 


48  VOYAGES  IN  SEASCH  OF 

but  througli  the  long  continuance  of  the  sun  above 
their  horizon,  and  by  that  time  the  summer  would  be 
80  far  spent,  and  so  great  darkness  and  cold  ensue, 
that  no  man  could  be  able  to  endure  so  cold,  dark,  and 
discomfortable  a  navigation,  if  it  were  possible  for 
him  then  and  there  to  live. 

11.  Further,  the  ice  being  once  broken,  it  must  of 
force  so  drive  with  the  winds  and  tides  that  no  shij) 
can  sail  in  those  seas,  seeing  our  fishers  of  Iceland  and 
Newfoundland  are  subject  to  danger  through  the 
great  islands  of  ice  which  fleet  in  the  seas,  far  to  the 
sooith  of  that  presupposed  passage.  ' 

12.  And  it  cannot  be  that  this  North-East  Passage 
should  be  any  nearer  the  south  than  before  recited,  for 
then  it  should  cut  ofP  Oiremissi  and  Turbi,  Tartarii, 
with  Vzesucani,  Ohisani,  and  others  from  the  continent 
of  Asia,  which  are  known  to  be  adjoining  to  Scythia, 
Tartary,  etc.,  with  the  other  part  of  the  same  continent. 

And  if  there  were  any  through  passage  by  the 
north-east,  yet  were  it  to  small  end  and  purpose  for 
our  traffic,  because  no  ship  of  great  burden  can 
navigate  in  so  shallow  a  sea,  and  ships  of  small 
burden  are  very  unfit  and  unprofitable,  especially 
towards  the  blustering  north,  to  perform  such  a  voyage. 


i 

-    ■   •% 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAaE.  49 

CHAPTER  YII. 

TO  PROVE  THAT  THE  INDIANS  AFORENAMED  CAME 
ONLY  BY  THE  NORTH-WEST,  WHICH  INDTJCETH 
A  CERTAINTY  OP  OUR  PASSAGE  BY  EXPERIENCE. 

It  is  as  likely  that  they  came  by  the  north-west  as  it  is 
unlikely  that  they  should  come  either  by  the  south- 
east, south-west,  north-east,  or  from  any  other  part 
of  Africa  or  America,  and  therefore  this  North-West 
Passage,  having  been  already  so  many  ways  proved  by 
disproving  of  the  others,  etc.,  I  shall  the  less  need  in 
this  place  to  use  many  words  otherwise  than  to 
conclude  in  this  sort,  that  they  came  only  by  the 
north-west  from  England,  having  these  many  reasons 
to  lead  me  thereunto. 

1.  First,  the  one-half  of  the  winds  of  the  compass  might 
bring  them  by  the  north-west,  veering  always  between 
two  sheets,  with  which  kind  of  sailing  the  Indians  are 
only  acquainted,  not  having  any  use  of  a  bow  line  or 
quarter  wind,  witho:it  the  which  no  ship  can  possibly 
come,  either  by  the  south-east,  south-west,  or  north- 
east, having  so  many  sundry  capes  to  double,  where- 
unto  are  required  such  change  and  shifts  of  winds. 

2.  And  it  seemeth  likely  that  they  should  come  by 
the  north-west,  because  the  coast  whereon  they  were 
driven  lay  east  from  this  our  passage,  and  all  winds 
do  naturally  drive  a  ship  to  an  opposite  point  from 
whence  it  bloweth,  not  being  otherwise  guided  by  art, 
which  the  Indians  do  ntterlv  want,  find  therefore  it 


60  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OP  \ 

seemeth  that  they  came  directly  through  this,  our 
strait,  which  they  might  do  with  one  wind. 

3.  For  if  they  had  come  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
then  must  they,  as  aforesaid,  have  fallen  upon  the 
south  parts  of  America. 

4.  And  if  by  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  then  upon  the 
coasts  of  Africa,  Spain,  Portugal,  France,  Ireland,  or 
England. 

5.  And  if  by  the  north-east,  then  upon  the  coasts  of 
Ciremissi,  Tartar ii,  Lapland,  Iceland,  Labrador,  etc., 
and  upon  these  coasts,  as  aforesaid,  they  have  never 
been  found. 

So  that  by  all  likelihood  they  could  never  have 
come  without  shipwreck  upon  the  coasts  of  Germany, 
if  they  had  first  struck  upon  the  coasts  of  so  many 
countries,  wanting  both  art  and  shipping  to  make 
orderly  discovery,  and  altogether  ignorant  both  of  the 
art  of  navigation  and  also  of  the  rocks,  flats,  sands,  or 
havens  of  those  parts  of  the  world,  which  in  most  of 
these  place^re  plentiful.     " 

6.  And  further,  it  seemeth  very  likely  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  most  part  of  those  countries,  by 
which  they  must  have  .come  any  other  way  besides  by 
the  north-westj  being  for  the  most  part  anthropo- 
phagi, or  men-eaters,  would  have  devourod  them> 
slain  them,  or,  at  the  leastwise,  kept  them  as  wonders 
for  the  gaze. 

So  that  it  plainly  appeareth  that  those  Indians 
— wldch,  as  you  have  heard,  in  sundry  ages  were  driven 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PA8SAOE.  51 

by  tempest  upon  the  shore  of  Germany — came  only 
through  our  North-West  Passage. 

7.  Moreover,  the  passage  is  certainly  proved  by  a 
navigation  that  a  Portuguese  made,  who  passed 
through  this  strait,  giving  name  to  a  promontory  far 
within  the  same,  calling  it  after  his  own  name,  Pro- 
montorium  Corterialis,  near  adjoining  unto  Polisacus 
Fluvius. 

8.  Also  one  Scolmus,  a  Dane,  entered  and  passed  a 
great  part  thereof. 

9.  Also  there  was  one  Salva  Terra,  a  gentleman  of 
Victoria  in  Spain,  that  came  by  chance  out  of  the 
West  Indies  into  Ireland,  Anno  1568,  who  affirmed 
the  North- West  Passage  from  us  to  Cathay,  constantly 
to  be  believed  in  America  navigable;  and  further 
said,  in  the  presence  of  Sir  Henry  Sidney,  then  Lord 
Deputy  of  Ireland,  in  my  hearing,  that  a  friar  of 
Mexico,  called  Andro  Urdaneta,  more  than  eight  years 
before  his  then  coming  into  Ireland,  told  him  there 
that  he  came  from  Mare  del  Sur  into*  Grermany 
through  this  North- West  Passage,  and  showed  Salva 
Terra — ^at  that  time  being  then  with  him  in  Mexico— 
a  sea-card  mado  by  his  own  experience  and  travel  in 
that  voyage,  wherein  was  plainly  set  down  and  de- 
scribed this  North- West  Passage,  agreeing  in  all  points 
with  Ortelius'  map. 

And  further  this  friar  told  the  King  of  Portugal  (as 
he  returned  by  that  country  homeward)  that  there  was 
of  certainty  such  a  passage  north-west  from  England. 


52  TOTAGES   IN  SEARCH  OF  \ 

and  that  he  meant  to  publisli  the  same ;  which  done, 
the  king  most  earnestly  desired  him  not  in  any  wise 
to  disclose  or  make  the  passage  known  to  any  nation. 
For  that  (said  tlie  king)  if  England  had  Icnowledge  and 
experience  thereof,  it  would  greatly  hinder  both  the 
King  of  Spain  and  me.  This  friar  (as  Salva  Terra 
reported)  was  the  greatest  discoverer  by  sea  that  hath 
been  in  our  age.  Also  Salva  Terra,  being  persuaded 
of  this  passage  by  the  friar  Urdaneta,  and  by  the  com- 
mon opinion  of  the  Spaniards  inhabiting  America, 
offered  most  willingly  to  accompany  me  in  this  dis- 
covery, which  of  like  he  would  not  have  done  if  he  had 
stood  in  doubt  thereof .  i   i     . 

And  now,  as  these  modem  experiences  cannot  be 
impugned,  so,  least  it  might  be  objected  that  these 
things  (gathered  out  of  ancient  writers,  which  wrote 
so  many  years  past)  might  serve  little  to  prove  this 
passage  by  the  north  of  America,  because  both 
America  and  India  were  to  them  then  utterly  unknown ; 
to  remove  this  doubt,  let  this  sufl&ce,  that  Aristotle  (who 
was  300  years  before  Christ)  named  che  Indian  Sea. 
Also  Berosus  (who  lived  330  before  Christ)  hath  these 
words,  Ganges  in  India. 

Also  in  the  first  chapter  of  Esther  be  these  words  : 
"  In  the  days  of  Ahasuerus,  which  ruled  from  India  to 
Ethiopia,"  which  Ahasuerus  lived  580  years  before 
Christ.  Also  Quintus  Curtius,  where  he  speaketh  of 
the  Conquest  of  Alexander,  mentioneth  India.  Also 
Arianna  Philostratus,  and  Sidraoh,  in  his  discourses  of 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  63 

the  wars  of  the  King  of  Bactria,  and  of  Garaab,  who 
had  the  most  part  of  India  under  his  goyemment.  All 
which  assureth  us  that  both  India  and  Indians  were 
known  in  those  days. 

These  things  considered,  we  may,  in  my  opinion, 
not  only  assure  ourselves  of  this  passage  by  the  north- 
west, but  also  that  it  is  navigable  both  to  come  and 
go,  as  hath  been  proved  in  part  and  in  all  by  the 
experience  of  divers  as  Sebastian  Cabot,  Gorterialis, 
the  three  brethren  above  named,  the  Indians,  and  Ur- 
daneta,  the  friar  of  Mexico,  etc. 

And  yet,  notwithstanding  all  which,  there  be  some 
that  have  a  better  hope  of  this  passage  to  Cathay  by 
the  north-east  than  by  the  west,  whose  reasons,  with 
my  several  answers,  ensue  in  the  chapter  following. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 


certain  reasons  alleged  fob  the  proving  of  a 
passage  by  the  north-east  before  the 
queen's  majesty,  and  certain  lords  of  the 
council,  by  master  anthony  jenkinson, 
with  my  several  answers  then  used  to 

THE  SAME. 

Because  you  may  understand  as  well  those  things 
alleged  against  me  as  what  doth  serve  for  my  purpose, 
I  have  here  added  the  reasons  of  Master  Anthony  Jen- 
kinson,  a  worthy  gentleman,  and  a  great  traveller,  who 


,54  VOYAOES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

conceived  a  better  hope  of  the  passage  to  Cathay  from 
ns  to  be  by  the  north-east  than  by  the  north-west. 

He  first  said  that  he  thought  not  to  the  contrary 
but  that  there  was  a  passage  by  the  north-west, 
according  to  mine  opinion,  but  he  was  assured  that 
there  might  be  found  a  navigable  passage  by  the 
north-east  from  England  to  go  to  all  the  east  parts 
of  the  world,  which  he  endeavoured  to  prove  three 
ways. 

The  first  was,  that  he  heard  a  fisherman  of  Tartary 
say  in  hunting  the  morse,  that  he  sailed  very  far  to- 
wards the  south-east,  finding  no  end  of  the  sea,  whereby 
he  hoped  a  through  passage  to  be  that  way. 

Whereunto  I  answered  that  the  Tartars  were  a 
barbarous  people,  and  utterly  ignorant  in  the  art  of 
navigation,  not  knowing  the  use  of  the  sea-card,  com- 
pass, or  star,  which  he  confessed  true ;  and  therefore 
they  could  not  (said  I)  certainly  know  the  south-east 
from  the  north-east  in  a  wide  sea,  and  a  place  un- 
known from  the  sight  of  the  land. 

Or  if  he  sailed  anything  near  the  shore,  yet  he,  being 
ignorant,  might  be  deceived  by  the  doubling  of  many 
points  and  capes,  u,nd  by  the  trending  of  the  land, 
albeit  he  kept  continually  along  the  shore. 

And  further,  it  might  be  that  the  poor  fisherman 
through  simplicity  thought  that  there  was  nothing  that 
way  but  sea,  because  he  saw  no  land,  which  proof  (under 
correction)  giveth  small  assurance  of  a  navigable  sea 
by  the  north-east  to  go  round  about  the  world,  for 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  55 

that  he  judged  by  the  eye  only,  seeing  we  in  this  clear 
air  do  account  twenty  miles  a  ken  at  sea. 

His  second  reason  is,  that  there  was  an  unicom'is 
horn  found  upon  the  coast  of  Tartary,  which  could  not 
come  (said  he)  thither  by  any  other  means  than  with 
the  tides,  through  some  strait  in  the  north-east  of  the 
Frozen  Sea,  there  being  no  unicorns  in  any  part  of 
Asia,  saving  in  India  and  Cathay,  which  reason,  in  my 
simple  judgment,  has  as  little  force. 

First,  it  is  doubtful  whether  those  barbarous  Tartars 
do  know  an  unicorn's  horn,  yea  or  no ;  and  if  it  were 
one,  yet  it  is  not  credible  that  the  sea  could  have 
driven  it  so  far,  it  being  of  such  nature  that  it  cannot 
float. 

Also  the  tides  running  to  and  fro  would  have 
driven  it  as  far  back  with  the  ebb  as  it  brought  it 
forward  with  the  flood. 

There  is  also  a  beast  called  Asinus  Indicus  (whose 
horn  most  like  it  was),  which  hath  but  one  horn  like 
an  unicorn  in  his  forehead,  whereof  there  is  great 
plenty  in  all  the  north  parts  thereunto  adjoining,  as 
in  Lapland,  Norway,  Finmark,  etc.,  as  Jocobus  Zeig- 
lerus  writeth  in  his  history  of  Scondia. 

And  as  Albertus  saith,  there  is  a  fish  which  hath 
but  one  horn  in  his  forehead  like  to  an  unicorn,  and 
therefore  it  seemeth  very  doubtful  both  from  whence 
it  came,  and  whether  it  were  an  unicorn's  horn,  yea  or 
no. 

His  third  and  last  reason  was,  that  there  came  a 


66*  VOYAGES  IN  SEABGH  OF 

\ 

continual  stream  or  current  through  the  Frozen  Sea  of 
such  swiftness,  as  a  Colmax  told  him,  that  if  you  cast 
anything  therein,  it  would  presently  be  carried  out 
of  sight  towards  the  west. 

Whereunto  I  answered,  that  there  doth  the  like  from 
Palus  Maeotis,  by  the  Euxine,  the  Bosphorus,  and 
along  the  coast  of  Greece,  etc.,  as  it  is  affirmed  by 
Contarcx^as,  and  divers  others  that  have  had  experience 
of  the  same ;  and  yet  that  sea  lieth  not  open  to  any 
main  sea  that  way,  but  is  maintained  by  freshets  as  by 
the  Don,  the  Danube,  etc. 

In  like  manner  is  this  current  in  the  Frozen  Sea 
increased  and  maintained  by  the  Dwina,  the  river  Ob, 
dtc.  .  ;  .  > 

Now  as  I  have  here  briefly  recited  the  reasons 
alleged  to  prove  a  passage  to  Cathay  by  the  north- 
east with  my  several  answers  thereunto,  so  will  I 
leave  it  unto  your  judgment,  to  hope  or  despair  of 
either  at  your  pleasure.  .       . 


CHAPTER  IX. 


HOW  THAT  THE  PASSAGE  BY  THE  N0BTH-V7EST  IS 
MORE  COMMODIOUS  FOB  OUR  TRAFFIC  THAN 
THE  OTHER  BY  THE  EAST,  IF  THERE  WERE  ANY 
SUCH. 

1.  By  the  north-east,  if  your  winds  do  not  give 
you  a  marvellous  speedy  and  lucky  passage,  you  are  in 
danger  (of  being  so  near  the  Pole)  to  be  benighted 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAOE.  57 

almost  the  one  half  of  the  year,  and  what  danger  that 
were,  to  live  so  long  comfortless,  void  of  light  (if  the 
cold  killed  you  not),  each  man  of  reason  or  understand- 
ing may  judge. 

2.  Also  Maiigia,  Quinzai,  and  the  Moluccas,  are 
nearer  unto  us  by  the  north-west  than  by  the  north- 
east more  than  two-fifths,  which  is  almost  by  the 
half.  /    -  ;     -v 

3.  Also  we  may  have  by  the  rest  a  yearly  return,  it 
being  at  all  times  navigable,  whereas  you  have  but 
four  months  in  the  whole  year  to  go  by  the  north- 
east, the  passage  being  at  such  elevation  as  it  is 
formerly  expressed,  for  it  cannot  be  any  nearer  the 
south. 

4.  Furthermore,  it  cannot  be  finished  without  divers 
winterings  by  the  way,  having  no  havens  in  any  tem- 
perate climate  to  harbour  in  there,  for  it  is  as  much  as 
we  can  well  sail  from  hence  to  S.  Nicholas,  in  the  trade 
of  Muscovy,  and  return  in  the  navigable  season  of  the 
year,  and  from  S.  Nicholas,  Cerimissi,  Tartarii,  which 
standeth  80  degrees  of  the  septentrional  latitude,  it  is 
at  the  left;  400  leagues,  which  amounteth  scarce  to  the 
third  part  of  the  way,  to  the  end  of  your  voyage  by  the 
north-east. 

6.  And  yet,  after  you  have  doubled  this  Cape,  if 
then  there  might  be  found  a  navigable  sea  to  carry  you 
south-east  according  to  your  desire,  yet  can  yon  not 
winter  conveniently  until  you  come  to  sixty  degrees* 
and  to  take  up  one  degree  running  south-east  you 


68  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 


\ 


must  sail  twenty-four  leagues  and  three  four  parts, 
which  amounteth  to  four  hundred  and  ninety-five 
leagues.  .^    *    .      - 

6.  Furthermore,  you  may  by  the  north-west  sail 
thither,  with  all  easterly  winds,  and  return  with  any 
westerly  winds,  whereas  you  must  have  by  the  north- 
east sundry  winds,  and  those  proper,  according  to  the 
lie  of  the  coast  and  capes,  you  shall  be  enforced  to 
double,  which  winds  are  not  always  to  be  had  when 
they  are  looked  for;  whereby  your  journey  should  be 
greatly  prolonged,  and  hardly  endured  so  near  the  Pole, 
as  we  are  taught  by  Sir  Hugh  Willoughbie,  who  was 
frozen  to  death  far  nearer  the  south. 

7.  Moreover,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  we  should 
long  enjoy  that  trade  by  the  north-east  if  there  were 
any  such  passage  that  way,  the  commodities  thereof 
once  known  to  the  Muscovite,  what  privilege  soever 
he  hath  granted,  seeing  poUice  with  the  maze  of  ex- 
cessive gain,  to  the  enriching  of  himself  and  all  his 
dominions,  would  persuade  him  to  presume  the  same, 
having  so  great  opportunity,  to  distribute  the  commo- 
dities of  those  countries  by  the  Name. 

But  by  the  north  -  west  we  may  safely  trade 
without  danger  or  annoyance  of  any  prince  living, 
Christian  or  heathen,  it  being  out  of  all  their  trades. 

8.  Also  the  Queen's  Majesty's  dominions  are  nearer 
the  North-West  Passage  than  any  other  great  princes 
that  might  pass  that  way,  and  both  in  their  going  and 
return  they  must  of  necessity  succour  themselves  and 


I  - 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  59 

their  slups  upon  some  pari  of  the  same  if  any  tem- 
pestuous weather  should  happen. 

Further,  no  prince's  navy  of  the  world  is  able 
to  encounter  the  Queen's  Majesty's  navy  as  it  is  at 
this  present ;  and  yet  it  should  be  greatly  increased 
by  the  traffic  ensuing  upon  this  discovery,  for  it  is  the 
long  voyages  that  increase  and  maintain  great  shipping. 

Now  it  seemeth  necessary  to  declare  what  commo- 
dities would  grow  thereby  if  all  these  things  were  as 
we  have  heretofore  presupposed  and  thought  them  to 
be ;  which  next  adjoining  are  briefly  declared. 


CHAPTER    X. 


WHAT  COMMODITIES  WOULD   ENSUE,   THIS    PASSAOB 

ONCE  DISCOVERED. 

1.  It  were  the  only  way  for  our  princes  to  possess  the 
wealth  of  all  the  east  parts  (as  they  term  them)  of 
the  world,  which  is  infinite ;  as  appeareth  by  the  ex- 
perience of  Alexander  the  Great  in  the  time  of  his 
conquest  of  India  and  the  east  parts  of  the  world, 
alleged  by  Quintus  Ourtius,  which  would  be  a  great 
advancement  to  our  country,  wonderful  enriching  to 
our  prince,  and  unspeakable  commodities  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Europe.    :  :* 

2.  For,  through  the  shortness  of  the  voyage,  we 
should  be  able  to  sell  all  manner  of  merchandise 
brought  from  thence  far  better  cheap  than  either  the 
Portuguese  or  Spaniard  doth  or  may  do.  And,  further, 


60  TOYAGES  IN  8BABOH  OJBC 

share  with  the  Portuguese  in  the  east  and  the  Spaniard 
in  the  west  by  trading  to  any  part  of  America  through 
Mare  del  Sur,  where  they  can  no  manner  of  way  offend 
us. 

3.  Also  we  sailed  to  divers  marvellous  rich  countries, 
both  civil  and  others,  out  of  both  their  jurisdictions, 
trades  and  traffics,  where  there  is  to  be  found  great 
abundance  of  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  cloih  of 
gold,  silks,  all  manner  of  spices,  grocery  wares,  and 
other  kinds  of  merchandise  of  an  inestimable  price, 
which  both  the  Spaniard  and  Portuguese,  through  the 
length  of  their  journeys,  cannot  well  attain  unto. 

4.  Also,  we  might  inhabit  some  part  of  those  coun- 
tries, and  settle  there  such  needy  people  of  our  country 
which  now  trouble  the  commonwealth,  and  through 
want  here  at  home  are  enforced  to  commit  outrageous 
offences,  whereby  they  are  daily  consumed  with  the 
gallows.         ^       ■■-  V  • 

5.  Moreover,  we  might  from  all  the  aforesaid  places 
have  a  yearly  return,  inhabiting  for  our  staple  some 
convenient  place  of  America,  about  Sierra  Nevada  or 
some  other  part,  whereas  it  shall  seem  best  for  the 
shortening  of  the  voyage.  '     .     r         ^- 

6.  Beside  the  exporting  of  our  country  commo- 
dities, which  the  Indians,  etc.,  much  esteem,  as  ap- 
peareth  in  Esther,  where  the  pomp  is  expressed  of 
the  great  King  of  India,  Ahasuerus,  who  matched 
the  coloured  clothes  wherewith  his  houses  and  tents 
were  apparelled  with  gold  and  silver,  as  part  of  his 


THE  KOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  61 

greatest  treasure,  not  mentioning  velvets,  silks,  oloth 
of  gold,  cloth  of  silver,  or  such  like,  being  in  those 
countries  most  plentiful,  whereby  it  plainly  appeareth 
in  what  great  estimation  they  would  have  the  cloths  of 
this  our  country,  so  that  there  would  be  found  a  far 
better  vent  for  th^m  by  this  means  than  yet  this  realm 
ever  had;  and  that  without  depending  either  upon 
Fran^,  Spain,  Flanders,  Portugal,  Hamborough,  Em- 
den,  or  any  other  part  of  Europe. 

7.  Also  here  we  shall  increase  both  our  ships  and 
mariners  without  burdening  of  the  State. 

8.  And  also  have  occasion  to  set  poor  men's  children 
to  learn  handicrafts,  and  thereby  to  make  trifles  and 
such  like,  which  the  Indians  and  those  peoplte  do  much 
esteem;  by  reason  whereof,  there  should  be  none 
occasion  to  have  our  country  cumbered  with  Icdterers, 
vagabonds,  and  such  like  idle  persons. 

All  these  commodities  would  grow  by  following  this 
our  discovery  without  injury  done  to  any  Christian 
prince  by  crossing  them  in  any  of  their  used  trades, 
whereby  they  might  take  any  just  occasion  of  ofPence. 

Thus  have  I  briefly  showed  you  some  part  of  the 
grounds  of  my  opinion,  trusting  that  you  will  no 
longer  judge  me  fantastic  in  this  matter,  seeing  I  have 
conceived  no  hope  of  this  voyage,  but  am  persuaded 
thereunto  by  the  best  cosmographers  of  our  age,  the 
same  being  confirmed  both  by  reason  and  certain 
experiences. 

Also  this  discovery  hath  been  divers  times  hereto- 


62  VOTAGBS  IK  SEARCH  OF 

fore  bj  others  both  proposed,  attempted,  and  per- 
formed. 

It  hath  been  proposed  by  Stephen  Gomez  onto 
Oarolus,  the  fifth  emperor  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1527,  as  Alphonso  TJUya  testifieth  in  the  story  of 
Oarolus'  life,  who  would  have  set  him  forth  in  it  (as 
the  story  mentioneth)  if  the  great  want  of  money,  by 
reason  of  his  long  wars,  had  not  caused  him  to  sur- 
cease the  same. 

And  the  King  of  Portugal,  fearing  lest  the  emperor 
would  have  persevered  in  this  his  enterprise,  gave 
him,  to  leave  the  matter  unattempted,  the  sum  of 
350,000  crowns ;  and  it  is  to  be  supposed  that  the 
King  of  Portugal  would  not  have  given  to  the 
emperor  such  sums  of  money  for  eggs  in  moonshine. 

It  hath  been  attempted  by  Corterialis  the  Portu- 
guese, Scolmus  the  Dane,  and  by  Sebastian  Cabot  in 
the  time  of  King  Henry  YII. 

And  it  hath  been  performed  by  the  three  brethren,  the 
Indians  aforesaid,  and  by  Urdaneta,  the  friar  of  Mexico. 

Also  divers  have  proposed  the  like  unto  the  French 
king,  who  hath  sent  two  or  three  times  to  have  dis- 
covered the  same ;  the  discoverers  spending  and  con- 
suming their  victuals  in  searching  the  gulfs  and  bays 
between  Florida  and  Labrador,  whereby  the  ice  is 
broken  to  the  after-comers. 

So  that  the  right  way  may  now  be  easily  found  out 
in  short  time,  and  that  with  little  jeopardy  and  less 
expenses. 


THE   N0STH-WE8T  FA88AOB.  63 

Por  America  is  discovered  so  far  towards  the  north 
as  Cape  Frido,  which  is  at  62  degrees,  and  that  part 
of  Greenland  next  adjoining  is  known  to  stand  but  at 
,  72  degrees ;  so  that  we  hare  but  10  degrees  to  sail 
north  and  south  to  put  the  world  out  of  doubt  hereof ; 
and  it  is  likely  that  the  King  of  Spain  and  the  King 
,  of  Portugal  would  not  have  sat  out  all  this  while  but 
that  they  are  sure  to  possess  to  themselves  all  that 
trade  they  now  use,  and  fear  to  deal  in  this  discovery 
lest  the  Queen's  Majesty,  having  so  good  opportunity, 
and  finding  the  commodity  which  thereby  might  ensue 
to  the  commonwealth,  would  cut  them  ofS.  and  enjoy 
the  whole  traffic  to  herself,  and  thereby  the  Spaniards 
and  Portuguese  with  their  great  charges  should  beat 
the  bush  and  other  men  catch  the  birds ;  which  thing 
^  they  foreseeing,  have  commanded  that  no  pilot  of 
theirs,  upon  pain  of  death,  should  seek  to  discover  to 
the  north-west,  or  plat  out  in  any  sea-card  any 
through  passage  that  way  by  the  north-west. 

Now,  if  you  will  impartially  compare  the  hope  that 
remaineth  to  animate  me  to  this  enterprise  with  those 
likelihoods  whicli  Columbus  alleged  before  Ferdinando, 
the  King  of  Castilia,  to  prove  that  there  were  such 
islands  in  the  West  Ocean  as  were  after  by  him  and 
others  discovered,  to  the  great  commodity  of  Spain  and 
all  the  world,  you  will  think  then  that  this  North-West 
Passage  to  be  most  worthy  travel  therein. 

For  Columbus  had  none  of  the  West  Islands  set 
forth  unto  him  either  in  globe  or  card,  neither  yet  once 


64  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OP    ^ 

mentioned  of  any  writer  (Plato  excopt&d,  and  the  com- 
mentaries  upon  the  same)  from  942  years  before  Christ 
until  that  day.  ;    .  '        •     .  :?.  > 

Moreover,  Columbus  himself  had  neither  seen 
America  nor  any  other  of  the  islands  about  it,  neither 
understood  he  of  them  by  the  report  of  any  other  that 
had  seen  them,  but  only  comforted  himself  with  this 
hope,  that  the  land  had  a  beginning  where  the  sea  had 
an  ending.  For  as  touching  that  which  the  Spaniards 
do  write  of  a  Biscaine  which  should  have  taught  him 
the  way  thither,  it  is  thought  to  be  imagined  of  them 
to  deprive  Columbus  of  his  honour,  being  none  of  their 
countryman,  but  a  stranger  born. 

And  if  it  were  true  of  the  Biscaine,  yet  did  he  but 
hit  upon  the  matter,  or,  at  the  least,  gathered  the 
knowledge  of  it  by  conjectures  only. 

And  albeit  myself  have  not  seen  this  passage,  or  any 
part  thereof,  but  am  ignorant  of  it  as  touching  ex- 
perience as  Columbus  was  before  his  attempt  was 
mads,  yet  have  I  both  the  report,  relation,  and 
authority  of  divers  most  credible  men,  which  have 
both  seen  and  passed  through  some  and  every  part  of 
this  discovery,  besides  sundry  reasons  for  my  assurance 
thereof,  all  which  Columbus  wanted. 

These  things  considered  and  impartially  weighed 
together,  with  the  wonderful  commodities  which  this 
discovery  may  bring,  especially  to  this  realm  of 
England,  T  must  needs  conclude  with  learned  Baptista 
Kamusius,  and  divers  other  learned  men,  who  said  that 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  65 

this  discovery  hath  been  reserved  for  some  noble  prince 
or  worthy  man,  thereby  to  make  himself  rich,  and  the 
world  happy  :  desiring  you  to  accept  in  good  part  this 
brief  and  simple  discourse,  written  in  haste,  which,  if 
I  may  perceive  that  it  shall  not  sufficiently  satisfy  you 
in  this  behalf,  I  will  then  impart  unto  you  a  large  dis- 
course, which  I  have  written  only  of  this  discovery. 

And  further,  because  it  suffioeth  not  only  to  know  that 
such  a  thing  there  is,  without  ability  to  perform  the 
same,  I  will  at  leisure  make  you  partaker  of  another 
simple  discourse  of  navigation,  wherein  I  have  not  a 
little  travelled,  to  make  myself  as  sufficient  to  bring 
these  things  to  effect  as  I  have  been  ready  to  offer 
myscif  tlicroin.  ^  '      • 

And  therein  I  have  devised  to  amend  the  errors  of 
usual  sea-cards,  whose  common  fault  is  to  make  the 
degrees  of  longitude  in  every  latitude  of  one  like 
bigness. 

And  have  also  devised  therein  a  spherical  instru- 
ment, with  a  compass  of  variation  for  the  perfect 
knowing  of  the  longitude. 

And  a  precise  order  to  prick  the  sea-card,  together 
with  certain  infallible  rules  for  the  shortening  of  any 
discovery,  to  know  at  the  first  entering  of  any  strait 
whether  it  lies  open  to  the  ocean  more  ways  than  one, 
how  far  soever  the  sea  stretcheth  itself  into  the  land* 

Desiring  you  hereafter  never  to  mislike   with   me 
for  the  taking  in  hand  of  any  laudable  and  honest  en» 
terprise,   for  if,  through  pleasure  and  idleneasj   we 
c— 35 


^i'  VvyYAa£S   IN   SEiJlOH  OJr   i" 

* 

purchase  slmmo,  the  pleasure  vauisheth,  but  the  shanio 
remaineth  for  ever.  i 

And  therefore,  to,  give  me  leave  without  offence 
Always  to  live  and  die  in  this  mind,  that  he  ia  not 
•worthy  to  live  at  all  that  for  fear  or  danger  of  death 
shunneth  hie  country^a  service  cmd  his  own  honour, 
seeing  death  is  inevitable,  and  the  fame  of  virtue  im- 
mortal. Wherefore,  in  this  behalf,  Mutare  vel  timere 
^emo. 


M-    '  n  i  1 


CERTAIN  OTHER  REASONS  OR  ARGU- 
MENTS TO  PROVE  A  PASSAGE  BY 
THE  NORTH-WEST. 

Lea/medly    written    by    Master    Richard     Willes, 

Gentleman. 

FouB  famous  ways  there  be  spoken  of  to  those  fruit- 
ful and  wealthy  islands,  which  we  do  usually  call 
Moluccas,  continually  haunted  for  gain,  and  daily 
travelled  for  riches  therein  growiug.  These  islands, 
although  they  stand  east  from  the  meridian,  distant 
almost  half  the  length  of  the  world,  in  extreme  heat, 
under  the  equinoctial  line,  possessed  of  infidels  and 
barbarians,  yet  by  our  neighbours  great  abundance  of 
wealth  there  is  painfully  sought  in  respect  of  the 
voyage  dearly  bought,  and  from  thence  dangerously 
brought  home  to  us.  Our  neighbours  I  call  the  Por- 
tuguese, in  comparison  of  the  Molucchians  for  nearness 
linto  us.  for  like  situation  westward  as  we  liave  for 


THE   N0&TU-WE8I  PASSAGE.  67 

their  usual  trade  with  us ;  for  that  the  far  south-easter* 
lings  do  know  this  part  of  Europe  bj  no  other  name 
than  Portugal,  not  greatly  acquainted  as  yet  with  the 
other  nations  thereof.  Their  voyage  is  very  well 
understood  of  all  men,  and  the  south-eastern  way 
routid  about  Africa,  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hoi>e,  more 
spoken  of,  better  known  and  travelled,  than  that  it  may 
seem  needful  to  discourse  thereof  any  farther. 

The  second  way  lieth  south-west,  between  the  West 
Indies,  or  South  America,  and  the  south  continent, 
through  that  narrow  strait  where  Magellan,  first  of  all 
men  that  ever  we  do  read  of,  passed  these  latter  years, 
leaving  thereunto  therefore  his  name.  This  way,  no 
doubt,  the  Spaniards  would  commodiously  take,  for 
that  it  lieth  near  unto  their  dominions  there,  could  the 
eastern  current  and  Levant  winds  as  easily  sufPer 
them  to  return  as  speedily  therewith  they  may  be 
carried  thither ;  for  the  which  difficulty,  or  rather  im- 
possibility of  striving  against  the  force  both  of  wind 
and  stream,  this  passage  is  little  or  nothing  used, 
although  it  be  very  well  known. 

The  third  way,  by  the  north-east,  beyond  all 
Europe  and  Asia,  that  worthy  and  renowned  knight 
Sir  Hugh  Willoughbie  sought  to  his  peril,  enforced 
there  to  rnd  liis  life  for  cold,  congealed  and  frozen  to 
death.  And,  truly,  this  way  consisteth  rather  in  the 
imaginatiou  of  g  ographers  than  allowable  either  in 
reason,  or  approved  by  experience,  as  well  it  may  ap- 
pear by  the  dangerous  trending  of  the  Scythian  Cape 


68  .       ^    VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  Off 

->..      -'■'■,..    ■•;i!      :■!'.'     ..iai,       «;•:•;     ■  ♦[  j-      %y.n''    ':■'•;      j         ■   '  "MJ 

set  by  Ortellius  under*  the  80th  degree  north,  by  the 
unlikely  sailing  in  that  northern  sea,  always  clad  with 
ice  and  snow,  or  at  the  least  continually  pestered  there- 
with, if  haply  it  be  at  any  time  dissolved,  beside  bays 
and  shelves,  the  water  waxing  more  shallow  towards 
the  east,  to  say  nothing  of  the  foul  mists  and  dark 
fogs  in  the  cold  clime,  of  the  little  power  of  the  sun  to 
clear  the  air,  of  the  uncomfortable  nights,  so  near  the 
Pole,  five  months  long. 

A  fourth  way  to  go  unto  these  aforesaid  happy 
islands,  the  Moluccas,  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  a  learned 
and  valiant  knight,  discourseth  of  at  large  in  his  new 
"  Passage  to  Cathay.'*  The  enterprise  of  itself  being 
virtuous,  the  fact  must  doubtless  deserve  high  praise, 
and  wl^eirsoever  it  shall  be  finished  the  fruits  thereof 
cannot  be  small ;  where  virtue  is  guide,  there  is  fame  a 
follower,  and  fortune  a  companion.  But  the  way  is 
dangerous,  the  passage  doubtful,  the  voyage  not 
thoroughly  known,  and  therefore  gainsaid  by  many, 
after  this  manner.  - 

First,  who  can  assure  us  of  any  passage  rather  by 
the  north-west  than  by  the  north-east?  do  not  both 
ways  lie  in  equal  distance  from  the  North  Pole  ?  stand 
not  the  North  Capes  of  either  continent  under  like 
elevation  ?  is  not  the  ocean  sea  beyond  America  farther 
distant  from  our  meridian  by  thirty  or  forty  degrees 
west  than  the  extreme  points  of  Cathay  eastward,  if 
Ortellius'  general  card  of  the  world  be  true  ?  In  the 
nqrth-east  that  noble  knight  Sir  Hugh  Willoughbie 


/• 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  69 


perished  for  cold,  and  can  yon  then  promise  a  pas- 
senger any  better  hap  by  the  north-west,  who  hath 
gone  for  trial's  sake,  at  any  time,  this  way  out  of  Europe 
to  Cathay? 

If  you  seek  the  advice  herein  of  such  as  make  pro- 
fession in  cosmography,  Ptolemy,  the  father  of  geo- 
graphy, and  his  eldest  children,  will  answer  by  their 
maps  with  a  negative,  concluding  most  of  the  sea 
within  the  land,  and  making  an  end  of  the  world 
northward,  near  the  63rd  degree.  The  same  opinion, 
when  learning  chiefly  flourished,  was  received  in  the 
Romans'  time,  as  by  their  poets'  writings  it  may  ap- 
pear. "  Et  te  colet  ultima  Thule,"  said  Yirgil,  being 
of  opinion  that  Iceland  was  the  extreme  part  of  the 
world  habitable  toward  the  north.  Joseph  Moletius, 
an  Italian,  and  Mercator,  a  German,  for  knowledge 
men  able  to  be  compared  with  the  best  geographers 
of  our  time,  the  one  in  his  half  spheres  of  the  whole 
world,  the  other  in  some  of  his  great  globes,  have  con- 
tinued the  West  Indies  land,  even  to  the  North  Pole, 
and  consequently  cut  off  all  passage  by  sea  that 
way. 

The  same  doctors,  Mercator  in  other  of  his  globes 
and  maps,  Moletius  in  his  sea-card,  nevertheless  doubt- 
ing of  so  great  continuance  of  the  former  continent, 
have  opened  a  gulf  betwixt  the  "West  Indies  and  the 
extreme  northern  land ;  but  such  a  one  that  either  is 
not  to  be  travelled  for  the  causes  in  the  first  objection 
alleged,  or  clean  shut  up  from  us  in  Europe  by  Green- 


70  VOYAGES  IN  8EABGH  OF 

land,  the  south  end  whereof  Moletius  maketh  firm  land 
with  America,  the  north  part  continent  with  Lapland 
and  Norway. 

Thirdly,  the  greatest  favourers  of  this  voyage  cannot 
deny  but  that,  if  any  such  passage  be,  it  lieth  subject 
unto  ice  and  snow  for  the  most  part  of  the  year, 
whereas  it  standeth  in  the  edge  of  the  frosty  zone.  Be- 
fore the  sun  hath  warmed  the  air  and  dissolved  the 
ice,  each  one  well  knoweth  that  there  can  be  no  sail- 
ing ;  the  ice  once  broken  through  the  continual  abode, 
the  sun  maketh  a  certain  season  in  those  parts.  How 
shall  it  be  possible  for  so  weak  a  vessel  as  a  ship  is  to 
hold  out  amid  whole  islands,  as  it  were,  of  ice  continu- 
ally beating  on  each  side,  and  at  the  mouth  of  that 
gulf,  issuing  down  furiously  from  the  north,  safely  to 
pass,  when  whole  mountains  of  ice  and  snow  shpll  be 
tumbled  down  upon  her? 

'  Well,  grant  the  West  Indies  not  to  continue  con- 
tinent unto  the  Pole,  grant  there  be  a  passage  be- 
tween these  two  lands,  let  the  gulf  lie  nearer  us  than 
commonly  in  cards  we  find  it  set,  namely,  between  the 
sixty-first  and  sixty-fourth  degrees  north,  as  Gemma 
Erisius  in  his  maps  and  globes  imagineth  it,  and  so 
left  by  our  countryman  Sebastian  Cabot  in  his  table 
which  the  Earl  of  Bedford  hath  at  Theinies ;  let  the 
way  be  void  of  all  difficulties,  yet  doth  it  not  follow 
that  we  have  free  passage  to  Cathay.  For  example's 
sake,  you  may  coast  all  Norway,  Finmarke,  and  Lap- 
land, and  then  bow  southward  to  St.  Nicholas,  in  Mos- 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  ,«?! 

'  i 

0 

covy.  Tou  may  likewise  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
fetch  Constantinople  and  the  mouth  of  the  Don,  yet  is 
there  no  passage  by  sea  through  Moscovy  into  Pont 
Euxine,  now  called  Mare  M^i^giore.  Again,  in  the 
aforesaid  Mediterranean  Sea  we  sail  to  Alexandria  in 
Egypt,  the  barbarians  bring  their  pearl  and  spices 
from  the  Moluccas  up  the  Red  Sea  and  Arabian 
Gulf  to  Suez,  'scarcely  three  days'  journey  from  the 
aforesaid  haven;  yet  have  we  no  way  by  sea  from 
Alexandria  to  the  Moluccas  for  that  isthmus  or  little 
strait  of  land  between  the  two  seas.  In  like  manner, 
although  the  northern  passage  be  free  at  sixty-one 
degrees  latitude,  and  the  west  ocean  beyond  America, 
usually  called  Mare  del  Sur,  known  to  be  open  at  forty 
degrees  elevation  for  the  island  of  Japan,  yea,  three 
hundred  leagues  northerly  of  Japan,  yet  may  there 
be  land  to  hinder  the  through  passage  that  way 
by  sea,  as  in  the  examples  aforesaid  it  falleth  out,  Asia 
and  America  there  being  joined  together  in  one  con- 
tinent. Nor  can  this  opinion  seem  altogether  frivolous 
unto  any  one  that  diligently  peruse th  our  cosmo- 
graphers'  doings.  Josephus  Moletius  is  of  that  mind, 
not  only  in  his  plain  hemispheres  of  the  world,  but  also  * 
in  his  sea-card.  The  French  geographers  in  like 
manner  be  of  the  same  opinion,  as  by  their  map  cut  out 
in  form  of  a  heart  you  may  perceive  as  though  the 
West  Indies  were  part  of  Asia,  which  sentence  well 
agreeth  with  that  old  conclusion  in  the  schools,  Quid- 
quid  j^roeter  Africum  et  Europam  est,  Asia  est,  '*  What- 


72  VOYAGES  IN  SBAECH  OF 


•X"  J  . 


soever  land  doth  neither  appertain  unto  Africa  nor  to 
Europe  is  part  of  Asia." 

Furthermore,  it  were  to  small  pui'pose  to  make  so 
long,  80  painful,  so  doubtful  a  voyage  by  such  a  new 
found  way,  if  in  Cathay  you  should  neither  be  suffered 
to  land  for  silks  and  silver,  nor  able  to  fetch  the 
Molucca  spices  and  pearl  for  piracy  iij  those  seas.  Of 
a  law  denying  all  aliens  to  enter  into  China,  and  forbid- 
ding all  the  inhabiters  under  a  great  penalty  to  let  in 
any  stranger  into  those  countries,  shall  yoil  read  in  the 
report  of  G-aleotto  Petera,  there  imprisoned  with  other 
Portuguese,  as  also  in  the  Japanese  letters,  how  for  that 
cause  the  worthy  traveller  Xavierus  bargained  with  a 
barbarian  merchant  for  a  great  sum  of  pepper  to  be 
brought  into  Canton,  a  port  in  Cathay.  The  great  and 
dangerous  piracy  used  in  those  seas  no  man  can  be 
ignorant  of  that  listeth  to  read  the  Japanese  and  Indian 
history. 

Finally,  all  this  great  labour  would  be  lost,  all  these 
charges  spent  in  vain,  if  in  the  end  our  travellers  might 
not  be  able  to  return  again,  and  bring  safely  home  into 
their  own  native  country  that  wealth  and  riches  they  in 
foreign  regions  with  adventure  of  goods  and  danger 
of  their  lives  have  sought  for.  By  the  north-east 
there  is  no  way ;  the  South-East  Passage  the  Portu- 
guese do  hold,  as  the  lords  of  those  seas.  At  the 
south-west,  Magellan's  experience  hath  partly  taught 
118,  and  partly  we  are  persuaded  by  reason,  how  the 
eastern  current  striketh  so  furioiislv  on  that   strait, 


'      '    THE  NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  73 

and  falleth  with  such  force  into  that  narrow  gulf,  that 
hardly  any  ship  can  return  that  way  into  our  west 
ocean  out  of  Mare  del  Sur.  The  which,  if  it  be  true,  as 
truly  it  is,  then  we  may  say  that  the  aforesaid  east-em 
current,  or  Levant  course  of  waters,  continually  follow- 
ing after  the  heavenly  motions,  loseth  not  altogether 
its  force,  but  is  doubled  rather  by  another  current 
from  out  the  north-east,  in  the  passage  between 
America  and  the  North  Land,  whither  it  is  of 
necessity  carried,  having  none  other  way  to  maintain 
itself  in  circular  motion,  and  consequently  the  force 
^nd  fury  thereof  to  be  no  less  in  the  Strait  of  Anian, 
wliere  it  striketh  south  into  Mare  del  Sur  beyond 
America  (if  any  such  strait  of  sea  there  be),  than  in 
the  strait  of  Magellan,  both  straits  being  of  like 
breadth,  as  in  Belognine  Salterius'  table  of  "New 
France,"  and  in  Don  Diego  Hermano  de  Toledo's  card 
for  navigation  in  that  region,  we  do  find  precisely  set 
down. 

Nevertheless,  to  approve  that  there  lieth  a  way  to 
Cathay  at  the  north-west  from  out  of  Europe,  we 
have  experience,  namely  of  three  brethren  that  went 
that  journey,  as  Gemma  Frisius  recordeth,  and  left  a 
name  unto  that  strait,  whereby  now  it  is  called  Fretum 
Trium  Fratrum.  "We  do  read  again  of  a  Portuguese 
that  passed  this  strait,  of  whom  Master  Frobisher 
speaketh,  that  was  imprisoned  therefore  many  years  in 
Lisbon,  to  verify  the  old  Spanish  proverb,  "I  suffer 
for  doing  welL"    Likewise,  An.  Urdaneta,  a  friar  of 


74  TOYAGES  IK  SEABGH  OF 


'J"' I 


Mexico,  came  out  of  Mare  del  Sur  this  way  into 
G^rmanj;  his  card,  for  he  was  a  great  discoyerer, 
made  by  bis  own  experience  and  travel  in  that  voyage, 
bath  been  seen  by  gentlemen  of  good  credit. 

Now  if  the  observation  and  remembrance  of  things 
breedeth  experience,  and  of  experience  proceedeth  art, 
and  the  certain  knowledge  we  have  in  all  faculties,  as 
the  best  philosophers  that  ever  were  do  affirm  truly  the 
voyage  of  these  aforesaid  travellers  that  have  gone  out 
of  Europe  ihto  Mare  del  Sur,  and  returned  thence  at  the 
north-west,  do  most  evidently  conclude  that  way  to 
ibe  navigable,  and  that  passage  free;  so  much  the 
more  we  are  so  to  think,  for  that  the  first  principle  and 
•chief  ground  in  all  geography,  as  Ptolemy  saith,  is  the 
history  of  travel,  that  is,  reportr.  made  by  travellers 
■skilful  in  geography  and  astronomy,  of  all  such  things 
in  their  journey  as  to  geography  do  belong.  It  only 
remaiueth,  that  we  now  answer  to  those  alignments 
ihat  seemed  to  make  against  this  former  conclusion. 
*  The  first  objection  is  of  no  force,  that  general  table 
T)f  the  world,  set  forth  by  Ortellius  or  Mercator,  for  it 
greatly  skilleth  not,  being  unskilfully  drawn  for  that 
point,  as  manifestly  it  may  appear  unto  any  one  that 
compareth  the  same  with  Gemma  Frisius'  universal 
map,  with  his  round  qaartered  card,  with  his  globe, 
with  Sebastian  Cabot's  table,  and  Ortellius'  general 
map  alone,  worthily  preferred  in  this  case  before  all 
Mercator's  and  Ortellius'  other  doings:  for  that 
Gabot  was  not    only  a  skilfu]   seaman,  but   a  long 


'.  * . 


/!» 


'  THE  NOKTH-WEBT  PASSAGE.  .     75 

traveller,  and  such  a  one  as  entered  personally  that 
strait,  sent  by  King  Henry  YII.  to  make  this  aforesaid 
discovery,  as  in  his  own  discourse  of  navigation  you 
may  read  in  his  card  drawn  with  his  own  hand,  that 
the  mouth  of  the  north-western  strait  lieth  near  the 
318th  meridian,  between  61  and  64  degrees  in  the  eleva- 
tion, continuing  the  same  breadth  about  ten  degrees 
west,  where  it  openeth  southerly  more  and  more,  until 
it  come  under  the  tropic  of  Cancer,  and  so  runneth 
into  Mare  del  Sur,  at  the  least  18  degrees  more  in 
breadth  there  than  it  was  where  it  first  began ;  other- 
wise I  could  as  well  imagine  this  passage  to  be  more 
unlikely  than  the  voyage  to  Moscovy,  and  more  im- 
possible than  it  for  the  far  situation  and  continuance 
thereof  in  the  frosty  clime :  as  now  I  can  affirm  it  to 
be  very  possible  and  most  likely  in  comparison  thereof, 
for  that  it  neither  coasteth  so  far  north  as  the  Moscovian 
passage  dotii,  neither  is  this  strait  so  long  as  that, 
before  it  bow  down  southerly  towards  the  sun  again. 

The  second  argument  concludeth  nothing.  Ptolemy 
knew  not  what  was  above  16  degrees  south  beyond  the 
equinoctial  line,  he  was  ignorant  of  all  passages  north- 
ward from  the  elevation  of  63  degrees,  he  knew  no 
ocean  sea  beyond  Asia,  yet  have  the  Portuguese 
trended  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  at  the  south  point  of 
Africa,  and  travelled  to  Japan,  an  island  in  the  east 
ocean,  between  Asia  and  America ;  our  merchants  in 
the  time  of  King  Edward  the  Sixth  discovered  the 
Moscovian    passage   farther  north   than  Thule,  and 


76  YOYAaES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

showed  Greenland  not  to  be  continent  with  Lapland 
and  Norway :  the  like  our  north-western  travellers 
have  done,  declaring  by  their  navigation  that  way  the 
ignorance  of  all  cosmographers  that  either  do  join 
Greenland  with  America,  or  continue  the  West  Indies 
with  tliat  frosty  region  under  the  North  Pole.  As  for 
Yirgil,  he  sang  according  to  the  knowledge  of  men  in 
his  time,  as  another  poet  did  of  the  hot  zone. 

Quarum  qusB  media  est,  non  est  habitabilis  sestu. 
Imagining,  as  most  men  then  did,  Zonam  Torridam, 
the  hot  zone,  to  be  altogether  dishabited  for  heat, 
though  presently  we  know  many  famous  and  worthy 
kingdoms  and  cities  in  tliat  part  of  the  earth,  and  the 
island  of  S.  Thomas  near  Ethiopia,  and  the  wealthy 
islands  for  the  which  chiefly  all  these  voyages  are 
taken  in  hand,  to  be  inhabited  even  under  the  equi- 
noctial line. 

To  answer  the  third  objection,  besides  Cabot  and  all 
other  travellers'  navigations,  the  only  credit  of  Master 
Frobisher  may  suffice,  who  lately,  through  all  these 
islands  of  ice  and  mountains  of  snow,  passed  that  way, 
even  beyond  the  gulf  that  tumbleth  down  from  the 
north,  and  in  some  places,  though  he  drew  one  inch 
thick  ice,  as  he  returning  in  August  did,  came  home 
safely  again. 

The  fourth  argument  is  altogether  frivolous  and  vain, 
for  neither  is  there  any  isthmus  or  strait  of  land  be- 
tween America  and  Asia,  nor  can  these  two  lands 
jointly  be  one  continent.    The  first  part  of  my  answer 


•    /'      *     '  THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  77 

is  manifestly  allowed  by  Homer,  whom  that  excellent 
geographer,  Strabo,  foUoweth,  yielding  him  in  this 
faculty  the  prize.  The  author  u£  that  book  likewise 
On  the  Universe  to  Alexander,  attributed  unto  Aristotle, 
is  of  the  same  opinion  that  Homer  and  Strabo  be  of,  in 
two  or  three  places.  Dionysius,  in  his  Periegesis,  hath 
this  verse,  "  So  doeth  the  ocean  sea  run  round  about 
the  world : "  speaking  only  of  Europe,  Africa,  and 
Asia,  as  then  Asia  was  travelled  and  known.  With « 
these  doctors  may  you  join  Pomponius  Mela,  Pliny,  Pius, 
in  his  description  of  Asia.  All  the  which  writers  do  no 
less  confirm  the  whole  eastern  side  of  Asia  to  be  com- 
passed about  with  the  sea ;  then  Plato  doth  affirm  in 
his  Timaeus,  under  the  name  Atlantis,  the  West 
Indies  to  be  an  island,  as  in  a  special  discourse  thereof 
R.  Eden  writeth,  agreeable  unto  the  sentence  of  Pro- 
clus,  Marsilius  Ficinus,  and  others.  Out  of  Plato  it  is 
gathered  that  America  is  an  island.  Homer,  Strabo, 
Aristotle,  Dionysius,  Mela,  Pliny,  Pius,  affirm  the 
continent  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe,  to  be  environed 
with  the  ocean.  I  may  therefore  boldly  say  (though 
later  intelligences  thereof  had  we  none  at  all)  that  Asia 
and  the  West  Indies  be  not  tied  together  by  any 
isthmus  or  strait  of  land,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of 
some  new  cosmographers,  by  whom  doubtfully  this 
matter  hath  been  brought  in  controversy.  And  thus 
much  for  the  first  part  of  my  answer  unto  the  fourth 
objection.  ' 

Tiie  second  part,  namely,  that  America  and  Asia 


•).!■ 


.<« 


78  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

oannot  be  one  continent,  may  thus  he  proved : — **  The 
most  rivers  take  down  that  way  their  course,  where 
the  earth  is  most  hollow  and  deep/'  writeth  Aristotle  ; 
and  the  sea  (saith  he  in  the  same  place),  as  it  goeth 
further,  so  is  it  found  deeper.  Into  what  gulf  do  the 
Moscovian  rivers  Onega,  Dwina,  Ob,  pour  out  their 
streams?  northward  out  of  Moscovy  into  the  sea. 
Which  way  doth  that  sea  strike  P  The  south  is  main 
land,  the  eastern  coast  waxeth  more  and  more  shallow : 
from  the  north,  either  naturally,  because  that  part  of 
the  earth  is  higher,  or  of  necessity,  for  that  tlie  forcible 
influence  of  some  northern  stars  causeth  the  earth 
there  to  shake  oS.  the  sea,  as  some  philosophers  do 
think;  or,  finally,  for  the  great  store  of  waters  en- 
gendered in  that  frosty  and  cold  climate,  that  the  banks 
are  not  able  to  hold  them.  From  the  north,  I  say, 
continually  falleth  down  great  abundance  of  water ; 
80  that  this  north-eastern  current  must  at  the  length 
abruptly  bow  toward  us  south  on  the  west  side  of 
Finmark  and  Norway,  or  else  strike  down  south-west 
above  Greenland,  or  betwixt  Greenland  and  Iceland, 
into  the  north-west  strait  we  speak  of,  as  of  congru- 
ence it  doth,  if  you  mark  the  situation  of  that  region, 
and  by  the  report  of  Mast-er  Frobisher  experience 
teacheth  us.  And,  Master  Frobisher,  the  further  he 
travelled  in  the  former  passage,  as  he  told  me,  the 
deeper  always  he  found  the  sea.  Lay  you  now  the  sum 
hereof  together,  the  rivers  run  where  the  channels  are 
most  hollow,  the  sea  in  taking  his  course  waxeth  deeper, 


THB   NO&TH-WEST  PASSAQB.  79 

the  sea  waters  fall  ooniinuall j  from  the  north  south- 
ward, the  north-eastern  current  strikoth  down  into 
the  strait  we  speak  of  and  is  there  augmented  with 
whole  mountains  of  ice  and  snow  falling  down  furiously 
out  from  the  land  under  the  North  Pole.  Where  store 
of  water  is,  there  is  it  a  thing  impossible  to  want  sea ; 
where  sea  not  only  doth  not  want,  but  waxeth  deeper, 
there  can  be  discovered  no  land.  Finally,  whence  I 
pray  you  came  the  contrary  tide,  that  Master  Frobisher 
mot  withal,  after  that  he  had  sailed  no  small  way  in 
that  passage,  if  there  be  any  isthmus  or  strait  of  land 
botwixt  the  aforesaid  north-western  gulf  and  Mare 
(lol  Sur,  to  join  Asia  and  America  together?  That 
conclusion  arrived  at  in  the  schools,  "  Whatsoever  land 
doth  neither  appertain  unto  Africa,  nor  to  Europe,  is 
part  of  Asia,"  was  meant  of  the  parts  of  the  world 
then  known,  and  so  is  it  of  right  to  be  understood. 

The  fifth  objection  requireth  for  answer  wisdom  and 
policy  in  the  traveller  to  win  the  barbarians'  favour 
by  some  good  means ;  and  so  to  arm  and  strengthen 
himself,  that  when  he  shall  have  the  repulse  in  one 
coast,  he  may  safely  travel  to  another,  commodiously 
taking  his  convenient  times,  and  discreetly  making 
choice  of  them  with  whom  he  will  thoroughly  deal.  To 
force  a  violent  entry  would  for  us  Englishmen  be  very 
hard,  considering  the  strength  and  valour  of  so  great  % 
nation,  far  distant  from  us,  and  the  attempt  thereof 

* 

might  be  most  perilous  unto  the  doers,  unless  their  pari 
were  very  good.    .  '"..  . ':. 


80  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

Touching  their  laws  against  strangers,  you  shall  read 
nevertheless  in  the  same  relations  of  Galeotto  Perera, 
that  the  Cathaian  king  is  wont  to  grant  free  access 
unto  all  foreigners  that  trade  into  his  country  for  mer- 
chandise, and  a  place  of  liberty  for  them  to  remain  in ; 
as  the  Moors  had,  until  such  time  as  they  had  brought 
the  Loutea  or  Lieutenant  of  that  coast  to  be  a  circum- 
cised Saracen :  wherefore  some  of  them  were  put  to  the 
sword,  the  rest  were  scattered  abroad ;  at  Fuquien,  a 
great  city  in  China,  certain  of  them  are  yet  this  day  to 
be  seen.  As  for  the  Japanese,  they  be  most  desirous  to 
be  acquainted  with  strangers.  The  Portuguese,  though 
they  were  straitly  handled  there  at  the  first,  yet  in  the 
end  they  found  great  favour  at  the  prince's  hands, 
insomuch  that  the  Loutea  or  President  that  misused 
them  was  therefore  put  to  death.  The  rude  Indian 
canoe  voyageth  in  those  seas,  the  Portuguese,  the 
Saracens,  and  Moors  travel  continually  up  and  down 
that  reach  from  Japan  to  China,  from  China  to  Malacca, 
from  Malacca  to  the  Moluccas,  and  shall  an  Englishman 
better  appointed  than  any  of  them  all  (that  I  say  no 
more  of  our  navy)  fear  to  sail  in  that  ocean  P  what  seat 
at  all  do  want  piracy  ?  what  navigation  is  there  void  of 
peril?  • 

To  the  last  argument  our  travellers  need  not  to  seek 
their  return  by  the  north-east,  neither  shall    they  be 
constrained,  except  they  list,  f>ither  to  attempt  Magel- ' 
lan's  strait  at  the  south-west,  or  to  be  in  danger  of  the 
Portuguese  on  the  south-east ;  they  may  return  by  the 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.         '   ,  81 

north-wost,  that  same  way  they  do  go  forth,  as  ex- 
perience hath  showed.  !'•;.. 
The  reason  aUc^ed  for  proof  of  the  contrary  may  be 
disposed  after  this  manner  :  And  first,  it  may  be  called 
in  controversy,  whether  any  current  continually  bo 
forced  by  the  motion  of  primum  mobile,  round  about 
the  world  or  no ;  for  learned  men  do  diversely  handle 
that  question.  The  natural  course  of  all  waters  is 
downward,  wherefore  of  congruence  they  fall  that  way 
where  they  find  the  earth  most  low  and  deep :  in  respect 
whereof,  it  was  erst  said,  the  seas  do  strike  from  the 
northern  lands  southerly.  Yiolently  the  seas  are 
tossed  and  troubled  divers  ways  with  the  winds,  in- 
creased and  diminished  by  tlje  course  of  the  moon, 
hoisted  up  and  down  through  the  sundry  operations  of 
the  sun  and  the  stars  :  finally,  some  be  of  opinion  that 
the  seas  be  carried  in  part  violently  about  the  world, 
after  the  daily  motion  of  the  highest  movable  heaven, 
in  like  manner  as  the  elements  of  air  and  fire,  with  the 
rest  of  the  heavenly  spheres,  are  from  the  east  unto  the 
west.  And  this  they  do  call  their  eastern  current,  or 
Levant  stream.  Sorae  such  ieurrent  may  not  be  denied 
to  be  of  great  force  in  the  hot  zone,  for  the  nearness 
thereof  unto  the  centre  of  the  sun,  and  blustering 
eastern  winds  violently  driving  the  seas  westward; 
howbeit  in  the  temperate  climes  the  sun  being  farther 
ofB,  and  the  winds  more  diverse,  blowing  as  much 
from  the  north,  the  west,  and  south,  as  from  the 
east,  this  rule  doth  not  effectually  withhold  us  from 


82  VOYAGES  IS  SEARCH  OP       - 

• 

ji   travelling  eastwards,  neither  be  we  kept  ever  back  by  the 

n   aforesaid  Levant  winds  and  stream.    But  in  Magellan 

.^  strait  we  are  violently  driven   back   westward,  ergo 

'     through  the  north-western  strait  or  Anian  frith  shall 

i,    we  not  be  able  to  return  eastward :  it  followeth  not. 

The  first,  for  that  the  north-western  strait  hath  more 

' ;    sea  room  at  the  least  by  one  hundred  English  miles 

.  than  Magellan's  strait  hath,   the  only  want  whereof 

causeth    all  narrow   passages    generally   to  be   most 

violent.  So  would  I  say  in  the  Anian  Gulf,  if  it  were  so 

narrow  as  Don  Diego  and  Zalterius  have  painted  it  out, 

any  return  that  way  to  be  full  of  difficulties,  in  respect 

of  such  straitness  thereof,  not  for  the  nearness  of  the 

sun  or  eastern  winds,  violently  forcing  that  way  any 

Levant  stream ;   but  'in  that  place  there  is  more  sea 

room  by  many  degrees,  if  the  cards  of  Cabot  and 

Gemma  Frisius,  and  that  which  Tramezine  imprinted, 

.  be  true. 

And  hitherto  reasons  see  I  none  at  all,  but  that  I  may 

as  well  give  credit  unto  their  doings  as  to  any  of  the 

rest.    It  must  be  Peregrinationis  historia^  that  is,  true 

reports  of  skilful  travellers,  as  Ptolemy  writeth,  that  in 

such  controversies  of  gfeography  must  put  us  out  of 

i    doubt.     Ortellius,  in  his  universal  tables,  in  his  par- 

.  ticular  maps  of  the  West  Indies,  of  all  Asia,  of  the 

^   northern  kingdoms,  of  the  East  Indies,  Mercator  in 

'^    some  of  his  globes  and  general  maps  of  the  world, 

Moletius  in  his  universal  table  of  the  Globe  divided,  in 

(I  bis  sea-card  and  particular  tables  of  the  East  Indies 


^^  THE  NORTH- WEST  PASSAGE.  ^-^'      8S 

Zanterins  and  Don  Diego  with  Fernando  Bertely,  and 
others,  do  so  much  differ  both  from  Gemma  Frisins  and 
Oabot  among  themselves,  and  in  divers  places  from 
themselves,  concerning  the  divers  situation  and  sundry 
limits  of  America,  that  one  may  not  so  rashly  as  truly 
surmise  these  men  either  to  be  ignorant  in  those  points 
touching  the  aforesaid  region,  or  that  the  maps  they 
have  given  out  unto  the  world  were  collected  only  by 
them,  and  never  of  their  own  drawing. 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  MASTER 
MARTIN  FROBISHER 

To  the  North-West  for  the  search  of  the  passage  or 
strait  to  China,  written  by  Christopher  Hally 
and  made  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1576. 

Upon  Monday,  the  thirteenth  of  May,  the  barque  Gab' 
riel  was  launched  at  Redriffe,  and  upon  the  twenty- 
seventh  day  followx.  y;  she  sailed  from  Redriffe  to 
Ratcliffe. 

The  seventh  of  June  being  Thursday,  the  two  barques, 
viz.,  the  Gabriel  and  the  Michaely  and  our  pinnace, 
set  sail  at  Ratcliffe,  and  bare  down  to  Deptford,  and 
there  we  anchored.  The  cause  was,  that  our  pinnace 
burst  her  bowsprit  and  foremast  aboard  of  a  ship  that 
rowed  at  Deptford,  else  we  meant  to  hare  passed  that 
day  by  the  court,  then  at  Greenwich.    •        -    v  " 

The  eighth  day  being  Friday,  about  twelve  o'clock^ 


84  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH  OP 

H  ,    _'_.t 

we  weighed  at  Deptf  ord  and  set  sail  all  three  of  us  and 
bare  down  by  the  court,  where  we  shot  off  our  ordnance, 
and  made  the  best  show  we  could ;  her  Majesty  behold- 
ing the  same  commended  it,  and  bade  us  farewell  with 
shaking  her  hand  at  us  out  of  the  window.  Afterwards 
she  sent  a  gentleman  aboard  of  us,  who  declared  that 
her  Majesty  had  good  liking  of  our  doings,  and  thanked 
us  for  it,  and  also  willed  our  captain  to  come  the  next 
day  to  the  court  to  take  his  leave  of  her. 

The  same  day,  towards  night,  Master  Secretary 
Woolley  came  aboard  of  us,  and  declared  to  the 
company  that  her  Majesty  had  appointed  him  to  give 
them  charge  to  be  obedient,  and  diligent  to  their  cap- 
tain and  governors  in  all  things,  and  wished  us  happy 
success. 

The  ninth  day  about  noon,  the  wind  being  westerly, 
having  our  anchors  aboard  ready  to  set  sail  to  depart, 
we  wanted  some  of  our  company,  and  therefore  stayed 
and  moored  them  again. 

Sunday,  the  tenth  of  June,  we  set  sail  from  Blackwall 
at  a  south-west  and  by  west  sun,  the  wind  being  at 
north-north-west,  and  sailed  to  Gravesend,  and  an- 
chored there  at  a  west-north-west  sun,  the  wind  being 
as  before. 

The  twelfth  day,  being  over  against  Gravesend,  by 
the  Castle  or  Blockhouse,  we  observed  the  latitud', 
which  was  51  degrees  33  minutes,  and  in  that  place  the 
variation  of  the  compass  is  11  degrees  and  a  half.  This 
day   we   departed  from  Gravesend   at  a  west-south- 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  85 

west  sun,  the  wind  at  north  and  by  east  a  fair  gale, 
and  sailed  to  the  west  part  of  Tilbury  Hope,  and  so 
turned  down  the  Hope,  and  at  a  west  sun  the  wind 
came  to  the  east-sor  'i-east,  and  we  anchored  in  seven 
fathoms,  being  low  water. 

[Here  there  follows  an  a')stract  of  the  ship's  log, 
showing  the  navigation  until  the  28th  of  July,  when 
they  had  sight  of  land  supposed  to  be  Labrador.] 

July  28th.  From  4  to  8,  4  leagues  :  from  8  to  12,  3 
leagues  :  from  12  to  4,  north  and  by  west,  6  leagues, 
but  very  foggy ;  from  thence  to  8  of  the  -clock  in  the 
morning  little  wind,  but  at  the  clearing  up  of  the  fog 
we  had  sight  of  land,  which  I  supposed  to  be  Labrador, 
with  great  stor  :^  of  ice  about  the  land  ;  I  ran  in  towards 
it,  and  sounded,  but  could  get  no  land  at  100  fathoms, 
and  the  ice  being  so  thick  I  could  not  get  to  the  shore, 
and  so  lay  off  and  came  clear  of  the  ice.  Upon  Mon- 
day we  came  within  a  mile  of  the  shore,  and  sought  a 
harbour ;  all  the  sound  was  full  of  ice,  and  our  boat 
rowing  ashore  could  get  no  ground  at  100  fathom, 
within  a  cable's  length  of  the  shore ;  then  we  sailed 
east-north-east  along  the  shore,  for  so  the  land  lieth, 
and  the  current  is  there  great,  setting  north-east  and 
south-west;  and  if  we  could  have  gotten  anchor 
ground  we  would  have  seen  with  what  force  it  had  run, 
but  I  judge  a  ship  may  drive  a  league  and  a  half  in 
one  hour  with  that  tide. 

This  daj\,  at  four  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  being 
fair   and    clear,  we   had  sight  of  a  headland  as  we 


$&  VOYAGES  IN  SEASCH  OF 


'■'-.A 


judged  bearing  from  us  north  and  by  east,  and  we 
sailed  north-east  and  by  north  to  that  land,  and 
when  we  came  thither  we  could  not  get  to  the  land  for 
lee,  for  the  ice  stretched  along  the  coast,  so  that  we 
•could  not  come  to  the  land  by  5  leagues. 

Wednesday,  the  first  of  August,  it  calmed,  and  in 
the  afternoon  I  caused  my  boat  to  be  hoisted  out,  being 
hard  by  a  great  island  of  ice,  and  I  and  four  men  rowed 
to  that  ice,  and  sounded  within  two  cables'  length  of 
it,  and  had  16  fathoms  and  little  stones,  and  after  that 
sounded  again  within  a  minion's  shot,  and  had  ground 
■at  100  fathoms,  and  fair  sand.  We  sounded  the 
next  day  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  it,  and  had  60  fathoms 
rough  ground,  and  at  that  present  being  aboard,  that 
great  island  of  ice  fell  one  part  from  another,  making 
a  noise  as  if  a  great  cliff  had  fallen  into  the  sea.  And 
at  4  of  the  clock  1  sounded  again,  and  had  90  fathoms, 
4ind  small  black  stones,  and  little  white  stones  like 
pearls.     The  tide  here  did  set  to  the  shore. 

We  sailed  this  day  south-south-east  ofward,  and 
laid  it  a  trie. 

The  next  day  was  calm  and  thick,  with  a  great 
sea. 

The  next  day  we  sailed  south  and  by  east  two 
leagues,  and  at  8  of  the  clock  in  the  forenoon  we  cast 
.about  to  the  eastward.  '  '      • 

The  sixth  day  it  cleared,  and  we  ran  north-west 
into  the  shore  to  get  a  harbour,  and  being  towards 
might,  we  notwithstanding  kept  at  sea.       '    "^^  -U  '•^' '   '^-^^ '' 


THE    NORTH- WEST   PASSAGE.  87     'S 

The  seventh  day  we  plied  room  with  the  shore,  but 
being  near  it  it  waxed  thick,  and  we  bare  off  again.  ;« 

The  eighth  day  we  bended  in  towards  the  shore  again.     ' 

The  ninth  day  we  sounded,  but  could  get  no  ground 
at  130  fathoms.     The  weather  was  calm.  *  :;      > 

The  tenth  I  took  four  men  and  myself,  and  rode  to 
shore,  to  an  island  one  league  from  the  main,  and 
there  the  flood  setteth  south-west  along  the  shore,  and 
it  floweth  as  near  as  I  could  judge  so  too.    I  could  not    " ' 
tarry  to  prove  it,  because  the  ship  was  a  great  way     ' 
from  me,  and  I  feared  a  fog;  but  when  I  came  ashore      • 
it  was  low  water.     I  went  to  the  top  of  the  island,  and      * 
before  I  came  back  it  was  hied  a  foot  water,  and  so     - 
without  tarrying  I  came  aboard. 

The  eleventh  we  found  our  latitude  to  be  63  degrees 
and  8  minutes,  and  this  day  entered  the  strait. 

The  twelfth  we  set  sail  towards  an  islan4  called  the 
Gabriel's  Island,  which  was  10  leagues  then  from 
us.  '  '  : 

"W  e  espied  a  sound,  and  bare  with  it,  and  came  to  a 
sandy  bay,  where  we  came  to  an  anchor,  the  land 
bearing  east  south-east  of  us,  and  there  we  rode  all 
night  in  8  fathom  water.  It  floweth  th«re  at  a  south-  '  - 
east  moon ;  we  called  it  Prior's  Sound,  being  from  the 
Gabriers  Island  10  leagues.  .   i    :    ^  h-ii;:* 

The  fourteenth  we  weighed  and  ran  into  another     ^** 
sound,  where  we  anchored  in  8  fathoms  water,  fair  sand, 
and  black  ooze,  and  there  caulked  our  ship,  being  weak    ''»• 
from  the  gunwales  upward,  and  took  in  fresh  water.     ^'^ 


88       •  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

The  fifteenth  day  we  weighed,  and  sailed  to  Prior's 
Bay,  being  a  mile  from  thence. 

The  sixteenth  day  was  calm,  and  we  rode  still  with- 
out ice,  but  presently  within  two  hours  it  was  frozen 
round  about  the  ship,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and 
that  bay  very  fair  and  calm. 

The  seventeenth  day  we  weighed,  and  came  to 
Thomas  WilliamV  Island. 

The  eighteenth  day  we  sailed  north-north-west  and 
anchored  again  in  23  fathoms,  and  caupfht  ooze  under 
Bircher's  Island,  which  is  from  the  former  island  10 
leagues. 

The  nineteenth  day  in  the  morning,  being  calm,  and 
no  wind,  the  captain  and  I  took  our  boat,  with  eight 
men  in  her,  to  row  us  ashore,  to  see  if  there  were  there 
any  people,  or  no,  and  going  to  the  top  of  the  island, 
we  had  sight  of  seven  boats,  which  came  rowing  from 
the  east  side  toward  tliat  island  ;  wliereupon  we  returned 
aboard  again.  At  length  we  sent  our  boat,  with  five 
men  in  her,  to  see  whither  they  rowed,  and  so  with  a 
white  cloth  brought  one  of  their  boats  with  their  men 
along  the  shore,  rowing  after  our  boat,  till  such  time 
as  they  saw  our  ship,  and  then  they  rowed  ashore.  Then 
I  went  on  shore  myself,  and  gave  every  of  them  a 
threaden  point,  and  brought  one  of  them  aboard  of  me, 
where  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  then  carried  h'm  on 
shore  again.  Whereupon  all  the  rest  came  aboard  witli 
their  boats,  being  nineteen  persons,  a^^d  they  spake,  but 
we  understood  them  not.     They  be  like  to  Tartars, 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.       "  89 

with  long  black  hair,  broad  faces,  and  flat  noses,  and 
"tawny  in  colour,  wearing  seal  skins,  and  so  do  the 
women,  not  differing  in  the  fashion,  but  the  women 
are  marked  in  the  face  with  blue  streaks  down  the 
cheeks  and  round  about  the  eyes.  Their  boats  are 
made  all  of  seal  skins,  with  a  keel  of  wood  within  the 
skin :  the  proportion  of  them  is  like  a  Spanish  shallop, 
save  only  they  be  flat  in  the  bottom  and  sharp  at  both  ends. 

The  twentxeth  day  we  weighed,  and  went  to  the  east 
side  of  this  island,  and  I  and  the  captain,  with  four 
men  more,  went  on  shore,  and  there  we  saw  their 
houses,  and  the  people  espying  us,  came  rowing  to- 
wards our  boat,  whereupon  we  plied  to  our  boat ;  and 
we  being  in  our  boat  and  they  ashore,  they  called  to  us, 
and  we  rowed  to  them,  and  one  of  their  company  came 
into  our  boat,  and  we  carried  him  aboard,  and  gave 
him  a  bell  and  a  knife ;  so  the  captain  and  I  willed 
five  of  our  men  to  set  him  ashore  at  a  rock,  and  not 
among  the  company  which  they  came  from,  but  their 
wilfulness  was  such  that  they  would  go  to  them,  and 
so  were  taken  themselves  and  our  boat  lost. 

The  next  day  in  tlie  morning  we  stood  in  near  the 
shore  and  shot  off  a  f auconet,  and  sounded  our  trumpet, 
but  we  could  hear  nothing  of  our  men.  This  sound 
we  called  the  Five  Men's  Sound,  and  plied  out  of  it,  but 
anchored  again  in  30  fathoms  and  ooze ;  and  riding 
there  all  night,  in  the  morning  the  snow  lay  a  foot 
thick  upon  our  hatches. 

The    two-and-twentieth    day  in    the    morning    we 


90  *.         ,     VOYAGES  IN  SEAUCH  OF 

weighed,  and  went  again  to  the  place  where  we  lost 
our  men  and  our  boat.  We  had  sight  of  fourteen 
boats,  and  some  came  near  to  us,  but  we  could  learn 
nothing  of  our  men.  Among  the  rest,  we  enticed  one 
in  a  boat  to  our  ship's  side  with  a  bell ;  and  in  giving 
him  the  bell  we  took  him  and  his  boat,  and  so  kept 
liim,  and  so  rowed  down  to  Thomas  William's  island, 
and  there  anchored  all  night. 

The  tv, .  .ity-sixth  day  we  weighed  to  come  home- 
ward, and  by  twelve  of  the  clock  at  noon  we  were 
thwart  of  Trumpet's  Island. 

The  next  day  we  came  thwart  of  Gabriel's  Island, 
and  at  eight  of  the  clock  at  night  we  had  the  Oape 
Labrador  west  from  us  ten  leagues. 

The  twenty-eighth  day  we  went  our  course  south-east. 

We  sailed  south-east  and  by  east,  twenty-two  leagues. 

The  first  day  of  September,  in  the  morning,  we  had 
sight  of  the  land  of  Friesland,  being  eight  leagues  from 
us,  but  we  could  not  come  nearer  it  for  the  monstrous  ice 
that  lay  about  it.  From  this  day  till  the  sixth  of  this 
month  we  ran  along  Iceland,  and  had  the  south  part  of 
it  at  eight  of  the  clock  east  from  us  ten  leagues. 

The  seventh  day  of  this  month  we  had  a  very 
terrible  storm,  by  force  whereof  one  of  our  men  was 
blown  into  the  sea  out  of  our  waste,  but  he  caught  hold 
of  the  foresail  sheet,  and  there  held  till  the  captain 
plucked  him  again  into  the  ship. 

The  twenty-iifth  day  of  this  month  we  had  sight  of 
the  island  of  Orkney,  which  was  then  east  from  us. 


THE  NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  91 

The  first  day  of  October  we  bad  sight  of  the  Sheld, 
and  so  sailed  along  the  coast,  and  anchored  at 
Yarmouth,  and  the  next  day  we  came  into  HarYrich. 

The  Language  of  the  People  op  Meta  Incognita. 

Argotteyt,  a  hand.  !  Attegay,  a  coat. 

Oangnawe,  a  nose.  i  PoUeuetagay,  a  knife. 

Arered,  an  eye.  i  Accaskay,  a  ship. 

Keiotot,  a  tooth.  '  :  Coblone,  a  thumb. 

Mutchatet.  thehead.  !    Teckkere,  the  foremost  fini?er. 

t 
Chewat,  an  ear.  ;    Ketteckle,  the  middle  finger. 

Comagaye,  a  leg.  Mekellacane,    the    fourth 

Atoniagay,  a  foot.  ■       finger. 

Callagay,  a  pair  of  breeches.      I    Tackethronc,  the  little  finger. 


THE   SECOND   VOYAGE   OF  MASTER 
MARTIN   FROBISHER, 

Made  to  the  West  and  North-West  Regions  in  the^ 
year  1577,  with  a  Description  of  the  Country 
and  People  ;  written  hy  D ionise  Settle. 

On  Whit  Sunday,  being  the  sixth-aud-twentieth  day  of 
May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  God  1577,  Captain 
Erobisher  departed  from  Blackwall — with  one  of  tha 
Queen's  Majesty's  ships  called  the  Aid,  of  nine  score 
ton  or  thereabout,  and  two  other  little  barques  like- 
wise, the  one  called  the  Gahrielj  whereof  Master 
Fenton,  a  gentleman  of  my  Lord  of  "Warwick's,  wa» 
captain;  and  the  other  the  Michael,  whereof  Master- 
York,  a  gentleman  of  my  lord  admiral's,  was  captain. 


92  YOYAGES  IN  SEABOH  OF 

accompanied  with  seven  score  gentlemen,  soldiers,  and 
sailors,  well  furnished  with  victuals  and  other  pro- 
visions necessary  for  one  half  year-^on  this,,  his  second 
year,  for  the  further  discovering  of  the  passage  to 
Cathay  and  other  countries  thereunto  adjacent,  by 
west  and  north-west  navigations,  which  passage  or 
way  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  north  and  north-west 
parts  of  America,  and  the  said  America  to  be  an 
island  environed  with  the  sea,  where  through  our 
merchants  might  have  course  and  recourse  with  their 
merchandise  from  these  our  northernmost  parts  of 
Europe,  to  those  Oriental  coasts  of  Asia  in  much 
shorter  time  and  with  greater  benefit  than  any  others, 
to  their  no  little  commodity  and  profit  that  do  or  shall 
traffic  the  same.  Our  said  captain  and  general  of  this 
present  voyage  and  company,  having  the  year  before, 
with  two  little  pinnaces  to  his  great  danger,  and  no 
small  commendations,  given  a  worthy  attempt  towards 
the  performance  thereof,  is  also  pressed — when  occasion 
shall  be  ministered  to  the  benefit  of  his  prince  and 
native  country — to  adventure  himself  further  therein. 
As  for  this  second  voyage,  it  seemeth  sufficient  that  he 
hath  better  explored  and  searched  the  commodities  of 
those  people  and  countries,  with  sufficient  commodity 
unto  the  adventurers,  which,  in  his  first  voyage  the 
year  before,  he  had  found  out. 

Upon  which  considerations  the  day  and  year  before 
expressed,  he  departed  from  Blackwall  to  Harwich, 
where  making  an  accomplishment  of  things  necessary. 


THE  NOBTH-WESl  PASSAGE.  93 

the  last  of  May  we  hoisted  up  sails,  and  with  a  merry 

wind  the  7th  of  June  we  arrived  at  the  islands  called 

Orchades,    or    vulgarly    Orkney,    being    in    number 

thirty,  subject  and  adjacent  to   Scotland,  where  we 

made  provision  of  fresh  water,  in  the  doing,  whereof 

our  general  licensed  the  gentlemen  and  soldiers,  for 

their  recreation,  to  go  on  shore.    At  our  landing  the 

people  fled  from  their  poor  cottages  with  shrieks  and 

alarms,  to  warn  their  neighbours  of  enemies,  but  by 

gentle  persuasions  we  reclaimed  them  to  their  houses. 

It  seemeth  fhey  are   often  frighted  with  pirates,  or 

some  other  enemies,  that  move  them  to  such  sudden 

fear.      Their  houses  are   very   simply  builded  with 

pebblft   stone,  without  any  chimneys,  the   fire   being 

made   in  the   midst  thereof.     The    good  man,   wife, 

children,  and  other  of  their  family,  eat  and  sleep  on 

the  ©ne   side   of  the  house,  and  their  cattle   on  the 

other,  very  beastly  and  rudely  in  respect  of  civilisation. 

They  are  destitute  of  wood,  their  fire  is  turf  and  cow 

shardes.  They  have  corn,  bigge,  and  oats,  with  which  they 

pay  their  king's  rent  to  the  maintenance  of  his  house. 

They  take  great  quantity  of  fish,  which  they  dry  in  the 

wind  and  sun ;  they  dress  their  meat  very  filthily,  and 

eat  it  without  salt.     Tlieir  apparel  is  after  the  nudest 

.  sort   of   Scotland.      Their  money  is  all  base.      Their 

Church   and  religion  is  reformed   according  to  the 

Scots.     The  fishermen  of  England  can  better  declare 

the  dispositions  of  those  people  than  I,  wherefore  I 

remit  other  their  usages  to  their  reports,  as  yel^rly 


94  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  01' 

Tepairers  thither  in  their  courses  to  and  from  Iceland 
for  fish. 

We  departed  here  hence  the  8th  of  June,  and 
followed  our  course  between  west  and  north-west 
until  the  4th  of  July,  all  which  time  we  had  no  night, 
hut  that  easily,  and  without  any  impediment,  we  had, 
when  we  were  so  disposed,  the  fruition  of  our  books, 
and  other  pleasures  to  pass  away  the  time,  a  thing  of 
no  small  moment  to  such  as  wander  in  unknown  seas 
and  long  navigations,  especially  when  both  the  winds 
and  raging  surges  do  pass  their  common  and  wonted 
<50urse.  This  benefit  endureth  in  those  parts  not  six 
weeks,  whilst  the  sun  is  near  the  tropic  of  Cancer,  but 
where  the  pole  is  raised  td  70  or  80  degrees  it 
3ontinueth  the  longer. 

All  along  these  seas,  after  we  were  six  days  sailing 
from  Orkney,  we  met,  floating  in  the  sea,  great  fir 
trees,  which,  as  we  judged,  were,  with  the  fury  of 
great  floods,  rooted  up,  and  so  driven  into  the  sea. 
Iceland  hath  almost  no  other  wood  nor  fuel  but  such 
as  they  take  up  upon  their  coasts.  It  seemeth  that 
these  trees  are  driven  from  some  part  of  the  New- 
foundland, with  the  current  that  setteth  from  the 
west  to  the  east.  -  , 

The  4th  of  July  we  came  within  the  making  of 
Friesland.  From  this  shore,  ten  or  twelve  leagues, 
we  met  great  islands  of  ice  of  half  a  mile,  some  more, 
some  less  in  compass,  showing  above  the  sea  thirty  or 
forty  fathoms,  and  as  we  supposed  fast  on  ground, 


THE  NORTH- WEST  PASSAGE.  96  ; 

where,   with  our  lead,   we  could    scarce    sound    the 
bottom  for  depth.  i  ^      , 

Here,  in  place  of  odoriferous  and  fragrant  smells  of 
sweet  gums  and  pleasant  notes  of  musical  birds,  which 
other  countries  in  more  temperate  zones  do  yield,  we 
tasted  the  most  boisterous  Boreal  blasts,  mixed  with  ' 
snow  and  hail,  in  the  months  of  June  and  July,  nothing 
inferior  to  our  untemperate  winter :  a  sudden  alteration, 
and  especially  in  a  place  of  parallel,  where  the  pole  is  not 
elevated  above  61  degrees,  at  which  height  other  countries 
more  to  the  north,  yea  unto  70  degrees,  show  themselves 
more  temperate  than  this  doth.  All  along  this  coast 
ice  lieth  as  a  continual  bulwark,  and  so  defendeth  the 
country,  that  those  which  would  land  there  incur 
great  danger.  Our  general,  three  days  together, 
attempted  with  the  ship  boat  to  have  gone  on  shore, 
which,  for  that  without  great  danger  he  could  not 
accomplish,  he  deferred  it  until  a  more  convenient 
time.  All  along  the  coast  lie  very  high  mountains, 
covered  with  snow,  except  in  such  places  wherej 
through  the  steepness  of  the  mountains,  of  force  it 
must  needs  fall.  Four  days  coasting  along  this  land 
we  found  no  sign  of  habitation.  Little  birds  which 
we  judged  to  have  lost  the  shore,  by  reason  of  thick 
fogs  which  that  country  is  much  subject  unto,  came 
flying  to  our  ships,  which  causeth  us  to  suppose  that 
the  country  is  both  more  tolerable  and  also  habitable 
within  than  the  outward  shore  maketh  show  or 
signification.  ■_,  ..i.  ^:,„^.    ..,    ^.   iy^,.^-    ^-'j^iii-;^    v'iK^i 


96  YOYAGES  IN  SEABGH  OF 

From  hence  we  departed  the  8th  of  July,  and  the- 
16th  of  the  same  we  came  with  the  making  of  land, 
which  land  our  general  the  year  before  had  named  the 
Queen's  Foreland,  being  an  island,  as  we  judge,  lying 
near  the  supposed  continent  with  America,  and  on  the 
other  side,  opposite  to  the  same,  one  other  island,  called 
Halles  Isle,  after  the  name  of  the  master  of  the  ship, 
near  adjacent  to  the  firm  land,  supposed  continent 
with  Asia.  Between  the  which  two  islands  ^here  is  a 
large  entrance  or  strait,  called  Frobisher's  Strait,  after 
the  name  of  our  general,  the  first  finder  thereof. 
This  said  strait  is  supposed  to  have  passage  into  the 
sea  of  Sur,  which  I  leave  unknown  as  yet. 

It  seemeth  that  either  here,  or  not  far  hen«e,  the  sea 
should  have  more  large  entrance  than  in  other  parts 
within  the  frozen  or  untemperate  zone,  and  that  some 
contrary  tide,  either  from  the  east  or  west,  with  main 
force  casteth  out  that  great  quantity  of  ice  which 
cometh  floating  from  this  coast,  even  unto  Friesland, 
causing  that  country  to  seem  more  untemperat©  than 
others  much  more  northerly  than  the  same. 

I  cannot  judge  that  any  temperature  under  the  Pole, 
being  the  time  of  the  sun's  northern  declination,  half  a 
year  together,  and  one  whole  day  (considering  that  the 
sun's  elevation  surmounteth  not  twenty-three  degrees 
and  thirty  minutes),  can  have  power  to  dissolve  such 
monstrous  and  huge  ice,  comparable  to  great  mountains, 
except  by  SLome  other  force,  as  by  swift  currents  and 
tides,  with  the  hplp  of  the  said  day  of  half  a  year. 


THE  NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  *        97 

Before  we  came  within  the  making  of  the^e  lands,  we 
tasted  cold  storms,  insomuch  that  it  seemed  we  had 
changed  with  winter,  if  the  length  of  the  days  had  not 
removed  us  from  that  opinion. 

At  our  first  coming,  the  8trait:4  seemed  to  be  shut  up 
with  a  long  mure  of  ice,  whiclj  gave  no  little  cause  of 
discomfort  unto  us  all ;  but  our  general  (to  whose  dili- 
gence, imminent  dangers  and  difficult  attempts  seemed 
nothing  in  respect  of  his  willing  mind  for  the  com- 
modity of  his  prince  and  country),  with  two  little 
pinnaces  prepared  of  purpose,  passed  twice  through 
them  to  the  east  shore,  and  the  islands  thereunto  ad- 
jacent; and  the  ship,  with  the  two  barques,  lay  off 
and  on  something  farther  into  the  sea  from  the  danger 
of  the  ice.  < 

"Whilst  he  was  searching  the  country  near  tlie  shore, 
some  of  the  people  of  the  country  showed  themselves, 
leaping  and  dancing,  with  strange  shrieks  and  cries, 
which  gave  no  little  admiration  to  our  men.  Our 
general,  desirous  to  allure  them  unto  him  by  fair 
means,  caused  knives  and  other  things  to  be  proffered 
unto  them,  which  they  would  not  take  at  our  hands ; 
but  being  laid  on  the  ground,  and  the  party  going 
away,  they  came  and  took  up,  leaving  something 
of  theirs  to  countervail  the  same.  At  the  length,  two 
of  them,  leaving  their  weapons,  came  down  to  our 
general  and  master,  who  did  the  like  to  them,  com- 
manding the  company  to  stay,  and  went  unto  them,  who, 
after  certain  dumb  signs  and  mute  congratulations, 
D— 35 


98  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

began  to  lay  hands  upon  them,  but  they  deliverly 
escaped,  and  ran  to  their  bows  and  arrows  and  came 
fiercely  upon  them,  not  respecting  the  rest  of  our  com- 
pany, which  were  ready  for  their  defence,  but  with 
their  arrows  hurt  divers  of  them.  We  took  the  one, 
,  and  the  other  escaped. 

"Whilst  our  general  was  busied  in  searching  the 
country,  and  those  islands  adjacent  on  the  east  shore, 
the  ships  and  barques,  having  great  care  not  to  put  far 
into  the  sea  from  him,  for  that  he  had  small  store  of 
victuals,  were  forced  to  abide  in  a  cruel  tempest, 
chancing  in  the  night  amongst  and  in  the  thickest  of 
the  ice,  which  was  so  monstrous  that  even  the  least  of 
a  thousand  had  been  of  force  sufficient  to  have  shivered 
our  ship  and  barques  into  small  portions,  if  God  (who 
in  all  necessities  hath  care  upon  the  infirmity  of  man) 
had  not  provided  for  this  our  extremity  a  sufficient 
remedy,  through  the  light  of  the  night,  whereby  we 
might  well  discern  to  Aee  from  such  imminent  dangers, 
which  we  avoided  with  fourteen  bourdes  in  one  watch, 
the  space  of  four  hours.  If  we  had  not  incurred  this 
danger  amongst  these  monstrous  islands  of  ice,  we 
should  have  lost  our  general  and  master,  and  the  most 
of  our  best  sailors,  which  were  on  the  shore  destitute  of 
victuals ;  but  by  the  valour  of  our  master  gunner. 
Master  Jackman  and  Andrew  Dier,  the  master's  mates, 
men  expert  both  in  navigation  and  other  good  qualities, 
we  were  all  content  to  incur  the  dangers  afore  reheareed. 
before  we  would,  with  our  own  safety,  run  into  the 


THE   N0BTH-WB8T  PASSAGE.  99 

seas,  to  the  destruction  of  our  said  general  and  his 
company. 

The  day  following,  being  the  19th  of  July,  our 
captain  returned  to  the  ship  with  good  news  of  great 
riches,  which  showed  itself  in  the  bowels  of  those  barren 
mountains,  wherewith  we  were  all  satisfied.  A  sudden 
mutation.  The  one  part  of  as  being  almost  swallowed 
up  the  night  before,  with  cruel  Neptune's  force,  and 
the  rest  on  shore,  taking  thought  for  their  greedy 
paunches  how  to  find  the  way  to  Newfoundland ;  at 
one  moment  we  were  racked  with  joy,  forgetting  both 
where  we  were  and  what  we  had  suffered.  Behold 
the  glory  of  man :  to-night  contemning  riches,  and 
rather  looking  for  death  than  otherwise,  and  to-morrow 
devising  how  to  satisfy  his  greedy  appetite  with  gold. 

Within  four  days  after  we  had  been  at  the  entrance 
of  the  straits,  the  north-west  and  west  winds  dis- 
persed the  ice  into  the  sea,  and  made  us  a  large 
entrance  into  the  Straits,  that  without  impediment,  on 
the  19th  July,  we  entered  them ;  and  the  20th  thereof 
our  general  and  master,  with  great  diligence,  sought 
out  and  sounded  the  west  shore,  and  found  out  a  fair 
harbour  for  the  ship  and  barques  to  ride  in,  and  named 
it  after  our  master's  mate,  Jackman's  Sound,  and 
brought  the  ship,  barques,  and  all  their  company  to 
safe  anchor,  except  one  man  which  died  by  God's 
visitation. 

At  our  first  arrival,  after  the  ship  rode  at  anchor, 
our'  general,  with  such  company  as    could  well  be 


100  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH   OF 

spared  from  the  ships,  in  marching  order  entered  the 
laud,  having  special  care  by  exhortations  that  at  onr 
entrance  thereinto  we  should  all  with  one  voice, 
kneeling  upon  our  knees,  chiefly  thank  God  for  our 
safe  arrival ;  secondly,  beseech  Him  that  it  wouM  please 
His  Divine  Majesty  long  to  continue  our  Queen,  for 
whom  he,  and  all  the  rest  of  our  company,  in  this 
order  took  possession  of  the  country ;  and  thirdly,  that 
by  our  Christian  study  and  endeavour,  those  barbarous 
people,  trained  up  in  paganry  and  iuftdelity,  might  be 
reduced  to  the  knowledge  of  true  religion,  and  to  the 
hope  of  salvation  in  Christ  our  Redeemer,  with 
other  words  very  apt  to  signify  his  willing  mind  and 
affection  towards  his  prince  and  country,  whereby  all 
suspicion  of  an  undutiful  subject  may  credibly  be 
judged  to  be  utterly  exempted  from  his  mind.  All  the 
rest  of  the  gentlemen,  and  others,  deserve  worthily 
herein  their  due  praise  and  commendation. 

These  things  in  order  accomplished,  our  general  com- 
manded all  the  company  to  be  obedient  in  things  need- 
ful for  our  own  safeguard  to  Master  Fenton,  Master 
Yorke,  and  Master  Beast,  his  lieutenant,  while  he  was 
occupied  in  other  necessary  affairs  concerning  our 
coming  thither. 

After  this  order  we  marched  through  the  country, 
with  ensign  displayed,  so  far  as  wais  thought  needful, 
and  now  and  then  heaped  up  stones  on  high  mountains 
and  other  places,  in  token  of  possession,  as  likewise 
to  signify  unto  such  as  hereafter  may  chance  to  arrive 


THE   NORTH- WEST  PASSAGE.  101 

there  that  possession  is  taken  in  the  behalf  of  some 
other  prince  by  those  which  first  found  out  the  country. 
Whoso  maketh  navigation  to  these  countries  hath 
not  only  extreme  winds  and  furious  seas  to  encounter 
withal,  but  also  many  monstrous  and  great  islands  of 
ice :  a  thing  both  rare,  wonderful,  and  greatly  to  be 
regarded. 

We  were  forced  sundry  times,  while  the  ship  did  ride 
here  at  anchor,  to  have  continual  watch,  with  boats  and 
men  ready  with  hawsers,  to  knit  fast  unto  such  ice  which 
with  the  ebb  and  flood  were  tossed  to  and  fro  in  the 
harbour,  and  with  force  of  oars  to  hail  them  away,  for 
endangering  the  ship. 

Our  general  certain  days  searched  this  supposed  con- 
tinent with  America,  and  not  finding  the  commodity 
to  answer  his  expectations,  after  he  had  made 
trial  thereof,  he  departed  thonce,  with  two  little 
barques,  and  men  sufficient,  to  the  east  shore,  being 
the  supposed  continent  of  Asia,  and  left  the  ship,  with 
most  of  the  gentlemen  soldiers  and  sailors,  until  such 
time  as  he  either  thought  good  to  send  or  come  for 
them. 

The  stones  on  this  supposed  continent  with  America 
be  altogether  sparkled  and  glister  in  the  sun  like  gold ; 
so  likewise  doth  the  sand  in  the  bright  water,  yet 
they  verify  the  old  proverb,  "All  is  not  gold  that 
glistereth." 

On  this  west  shore  we  found  a  dead  fish  floating, 
which  had  in  his  nose  a  horn,  straight  and  torquet,  of 


,.  / 


102  YOYAOES  IN  SEASCH  OF 

length  two  yards  lacking  two  inches,  being  broken  in 
the  top,  where  we  might  perceive  it  hollow,  into  which 
some  of  our  sailors  putting  spiders  they  presently  died. 
I  saw  not  the  trial  hereof,  but  it  was  reported  unto  me 
of  a  truth,  by  the  virtue  whereof  we  supposed  it  to  be 
the  sea  unicorn. 

After  our  general  had  found  out  good  harbour  for 
the  ship  and  barques  to  anchor  in,  and  also  such  store 
of  gold  ore  as  he  thought  himself  satisfied  withal,  he 
returned  to  the  Michael,  whereof  Master  Torke  afore- 
said was  captain,  accompanied  with  our  master  and  his 
mate,  who  coasting  along  the  west  shore,  not  far  from 
whence  the  ship  rode,  they  perceived  a  fair  harbour, 
and  willing  to  sound  the  same,  at  the  entrance  thereof 
they  espied  two  tents  of  seal  skins,  unto  which  the 
captain,  our  said  master,  and  other  company  resorted. 
At  the  sight  of  our  men  the  people  fled  into  the 
mountains ;  nevertheless,  they  went  to  their  tents, 
where,  leaving  certain  trifles  of  ours  as  glasses,  bells, 
knives,  and  such  like  things,  they  departed,  not  taking 
anything  of  theirs  except  one  dog.  They  did  in  like 
manner  leave  behind  them  a  letter,  pen,  ink,  and 
paper,  whereby  our  men  whom  the  captain  lost  the 
y^ar  before,  and  in  that  people's  custody,  might  (if  any 
of  them  were  alive)  be  advertised  of  our  presence  and 
being  there.  .  ^ 

On  the  same  day,  after  consultation,  all  the  gentle- 
men, and  others  likewise  that  could  be  spared  from  the 
ship,  under  the  conduct  and  leading  of  Master  Philpot 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE .  103 

(unto  whom,  in  our  general's  absence,  and  his  lieu- 
t(*nant,  Master  Beast,  all  the  rest  were  obedient),  went 
ashore,  determining  to  see  if  by  fair  means  we  could 
either  allure  them  to  familiarity,  or  otherwise  take 
some  of  them,  and  so  attain  to  some  knowledge  of  those 
men  whom  our  general  lost  the  year  before. 

At  our  coming  back  again  to  the  place  where  their 
tents  were  before,  they  had  removed  their  tents  farther 
into  the  said  bay  or  sound,  where  they  might,  if  they 
were  driven  from  the  land,  flee  with  their  boats  into 
the  sea.  We,  parting  ourselves  into  two  companies, 
and  compassing  a  mountain,  came  suddenly  upon  them 
by  land,  who,  espying  us,  without  any  tarrying  fled  to 
their  boats,  leaving  the  most  part  of  their  oars  behind 
them  for  haste,  and  rowed  down  the  bay,  where  our 
two  pinnaces  met  them  and  drove  them  to  shore.  But 
if  they  had  had  all  their  oars,  so  swift  are  they  in 
rowing,  it  had  been  lost  time  to  have  chased 
them. 

"When  they  were  landed  they  fiercely  assaulted  our 
men  with  their  bows  and  arrows,  who  wounded  three 
of  them  with  our  arrows,  and  perceiving  themselves 
thus  hurt  they  desperately  leaped  off  the  rocks  into 
the  sea  and  drowned  themselves ;  which  if  they  had 
not.  done  but  had  submitted  themselves,  or  if  by  any 
means  we  4Jould  have  taken  alive  (being  their  enemies 
as  they  judged),  we  would  both  have  saved  them,  and 
also  have  sought  remedy  to  cure  their  wounds  received 
at  our  hands.     But  they,  altogether  void  of  humanity. 


104  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH  OF 

and  ignorant  what  mercy  meaneth,  in  extremities  look 
for  no  other  than  death,  and  perceiving  that  they 
should  fall  into  our  hands,  thus  miserably  by  drown- 
ing rathor  desired  death  than  otherwise  to  be  saved  by 
us.  The  rest,  perceiving  their  fellows  in  this  distress, 
fled  into  the  high  mountains.  Two  women,  not  being 
so  apt  to  escape  as  the  men  were,  the  one  for  her  age, 
and  the  other  being  encumbered  with  a  \oiing  child, 
we  took.  The  old  wretch,  whom  divers  of  our  sailors 
supposed  to  be  either  a  devil  or  a  witch,  had  her 
buskins  plucked  oft'  to  soe  if  she  were  cloven-footed, 
and  for  her  ugly  hue  and  deformity  we  let  her  go ;  the 
young  woman  and  the  child  we  brought  away.  We 
named  the  place  where  they  were  slain  Bloody  Point, 
and  the  bay  or  harbour  Yorke's  Sound,  after  the  name 
of  one  of  the  captains  of  the  two  l)arques. 

Having  this  knowledge  both  of  their  fierceness  and 
cruelty,  and  perceiving  that  fair  means  as  yet  is  not 
able  to  allure  them  to  familiarity,  we  disposed  our- 
selves, contrary  to  our  inclination,  something  to  be 
cruel,  returned  to  their  tents,  and  made  a  spoil  of  the 
same,  where  we  found  an  old  shirt,  a  doublet,  a  girdle, 
and  also  shoes  of  our  men,  whom  we  lost  the  year  be- 
fore ;  on  nothing  else  unto  them  belonging  could  we 
set  our  eyes.  *     ;  « 

Their  riches  are  not  gold,  silver,  or  precious  drapery, 
but  their  said  tents  and  boats  made  of  the  skins  of  red 
deer  and  seal  skins,  also  dogs  like  unto  wolves,  but  for 
the  most  part  black,  with  other  trifles,  more  to  be 


THE   N0RTH-WE3T  PASSAGE.    ,  105 

wondered  at  for  their  strangeness  than  for  any  other 
commodity  needful  for  our  use. 

Thus  returning  to  our  ship  the  3rd  of  August,  we 
departed  from  the  west  shore,  supposed  firm  with 
America,  after  we  had  anchored  there  thirteen  days, 
and  so  the  4th  thereof  we  came  to  our  general  on  the 
east  shore,  and  anchored  in  a  fair  harbour  named  Anne 
Warwick's  Sound,  and  to  which  is  annexed  an  island, 
both  named  after  the  Countess  of  Warwick — ^Anne 
Warwick's  Sound  and  Isle. 

In  this  isle  pur  general  thought  good  for  this  voyage 
to  freight  both  the  ships  and  barques  with  such  stone  or 
gold  mineral  as  he  judged  to  countervail  the  charges  of 
his  first  and  this  his  second  navigation  to  these  countries, 
with  sufficient  interest  to  the  venturers  whereby  they 
might  both  be  satisfied  for  this  time  and  also  in  time 
to  come  (if  it  please  God  and  our  prince)  to  expect  a 
much  more  benefit  out  of  the  bowels  of  those  septen- 
trional parallels,  which  long  time  hath  concealed  itself 
till  at  this  present,  through  the  wonderfi'l  diligence 
and  great  danger  of  our  general  and  others,  G-od  is 
contented  with  the  revealing  thereof.  It  riseth  so 
abundantly,  that  from  the  beginning  of  August  to  the 
22nd  thereof  (every  man  following  the  diligence  of  our 
general)  we  raised  above  ground  200  ton,  which  we 
judged  a  reasonable  freight  for  the  ship  and  two 
barques  in  the  said  Anne  Warwick's  Isle.     -'^  -  '       ■' 

In  the  meantime  of  our  abode  here  some  of  the 
country  people    came   to   show  themselves    unto  us 


106  VOYAGES  IN  SEABOH  07 

sundry  times  from  the  main  shore,  near  adjacent  to 
the  said  isle.  Our  general,  desirons  to  haye  some 
news  of  his  men  whom  he  lost  the  year  before,  with 
some  company  with  him  repaired  with  the  ship  boat 
to  commune  or  sign  with  them  for  familiarity,  where- 
unto  he  is  persuaded  to  bring  them.  They  at  the 
first  show  made  tokens  that  three  of  his  five  men  were 
alive,  and  desired  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  and  that  within 
three  or  four  days  they  would  return,  and,  as  we  judged, 
bring  those  of  our  men  which  were  living  with  them. 

They  also  made  signs  or  tokens  of  their  king,  whom 
they  called  Cacough,  and  how  he  was  carried  on  men's 
shoulders,  and  a  man  far  surmounting  any  of  our 
company  in  bigness  and  stature. 

"With  these  tokens  and  signs  of  writing,  pen,  ink, 
and  paper  were  delivered  them,  which  they  would  not 
take  at  our  hands,  but  being  laid  upon  the  shore,  and 
the  party  gone  away,  they  took  up;  which  likewise 
they  do  when  they  desire  anything  for  change  of  theirs, 
laying  for  that  which  is  left  so  much  as  they  think 
will  countervail  the  same,  and  not  coming  near  to- 
gether. It  seemeth  they  have  been  used  to  this  trade 
or  traffic  with  some  other  people  adjoining,  or  not  far 
distant  from  their  country. 

After  four  days  some  of  them  showed  themselves 
upon  the  firm  land,  but  not  where  they  were  before. 
Our  generi\l,  very  glad  thereof,  supposing  to  hear 
of  our  men,  went  from  the  island  with  the  boat  and 
sufficient  company  with  him.    They  seemed  yery  glad. 


THE   NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  107 

and  allured  )iim  abont  a  certain  point  of  the  land,  be- 
hind which  they  might  perceive  a  company  of  the 
crafty  villains  to  lie  lurking,  whom  our  general  would 
not  deal  withal,  for  that  he  knew  not  what  company 
they  were,  so  with  few  signs  dismissed  them  and 
returned  to  his  company. 

Another  time,  as  our  said  general  was  coasting  the 
coutitry  with  two  little  pinnaces,  whereby  at  our 
return  he  might  make  the  better  relation  thereof,  three 
of  the  crafty  villains  with  a  white  skin  allured  us  to 
them.  Once  again  our  general,  for  that  he  hoped  to 
hear  of  his.men,.wtnt  towards  them;  at  our  coming 
near  the  shore  whereon  they  were  we  might  perceive  a 
number  of  them  lie  hidden  behind  great  stones,  and 
those  three  in  sight  labouring  by  all  means  possible 
that  some  would  come  on  land;  and  perceiving  we 
made  no  haste,  by  words  nor  friendly  signs,  which  they 
used  by  clapping  their  hands,  and  being  without 
weapon,  and  but  three  in  sight,  they  sought  further 
means  to  provoke  us  thereunto.  One  alone  laid  flesh 
on  the  shore,  which  we  took  up  with  the  boat-hook  as 
necessary  victuals  for  the  relieving  of  the  man,  woman, 
and  child  whom  we  had  taken,  for  that  as  yet  they 
could  not  digest  our  meat;  whereby  they  perceived 
themselves  deceived  of  their  expectation  for  all  their 
crafty  allurements.  Yet  once  again  to  make,  as  it 
were,  a  f uU  show  of  their  crafty  natures  and  subtle 
sleights,  to  the  intent  thereby  to  have  entrapped  and 
taken  some  of  our  men,  one  of  them  counterfeited  himself 


108  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

impotent  and  lame  of  his  legs,  who  seemed  to  descend 
to  the  water's  side  with  great  difficulty,  and  to  cover 
his  craft  the  more  one  of  his  fellows  came  down  with 
him,  and  in  such  places  where  he  seemed  unable  to 
pass,  he  took  him  on  his  shoulders,  set  him  by  the 
water's  side,  and  departed  from  him,  leaving  him,  as 
it  should  seem,  all  alone ;  who,  playing  his  counterfeit 
pageant  very  well,  thought  thereby  to  provoke  some  of 
us  to  come  on  shore,  not  fearing  but  that  one  of  us 
might  make  our  party  good  with  a  lame  man. 

Our  general,  having  compassion  of  his  impotency, 
thought  good,  if  it  were  possible,  to  cure  him  thereof ; 
wherefore  he  caused  a  soldier  to  shoot  at  him  with  his 
calever,  which  grazed  before  his  face.  The  counterfeit 
villain  deliverly  fled  without  any  impediment  at  all, 
and  got  him  to  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  the  rest  from 
their  lurking  holes  with  their  weapons,  bows,  arrows, 
slings,  and  darts.  Our  general  caused  some  calevers 
to  be  shot  off  at  them,  whereby,  some  being  hurt,  they 
might  hereafter  stand  in  more  fear  of  us. 

This  was  all  the  answer  for  this  time  we  could 
have  of  our  men,  or  of  our  general's  letter.  Their 
crafty  dealing  at  these  three  several  times  being  thus 
manifest  unto  us,  may  plainly  show  their  disposition  in 
other  things  to  be  correspondent.  We  judged  that 
they  used  these  stratagems  thereby  to  have  caught 
some  of  us  for  the  delivering  of  the  man,  woman,  and 
child,  whom  we  had  taken. 

They  are  men  of  a  large  corporature,  and  good 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE-  109 

proportibn ;  their  colour  is  not  much  unlike  the  sun- 
burnt countryman,  who  laboureth  daily  in  sun  for  his 
living. 

t  They  wear  their  hair  something  long,  and  cut  before 
either  with  stone  or  knife,  very  disorderly.  Their 
women  wear  their  hair  long,  knit  up  with  two  loops, 
showing  forth  on  either  side  of  their  faces,  ana  the 
rest^faltered  upon  a  knot.  Also,  some  of  their  women 
tint  their  faces  proportionally,  as  chin,  cheeks,  and 
forehead  and  the  wrists  of  their  hands,  whereupon  they 
lay  a  colour  which  continueth  dark  azurine. 

They  eat  their  meat  all  raw,  both  flesh,  fish,  and 
fowl,  or  something  parboiled  with  blood,  and  a  little 
water,  which  they  drink.  For  lack  of  water,  they 
will  eat  ice  that  is  hard  frozen  as  pleasantly  as  we 
will  do  sugar-candy,  or  other  sugar. 

If  they,  for  necessity's  sake,  stand  in  need  of  the 
premises,  such  grass  as  the  country  yieldeth  they 
pluck  up  and  eat,  not  daintily,  or  saladwise,  to  allure 
their  stomachs  to  appetite,  but  for  necessity's  sake, 
without  either  salt,  oils,  or  washing,  like  brute  beasts 
devouring  the  same.  They  neither  use  table,  stool, 
or  table-cloth  for  comeliness :  but  when  they  are 
imbrued  with  blood,  knuckle  deep,  and  their  knives  in 
like  sort,  they  use  their  tongues  as  apt  instruments  to 
lit  them  clean ;  in  doing  whereof  they  are  assured  to 
lose  none  of  their  victuals. 

They  keep  certain  dogs,  not  much  unlike  wolves, 
which  they  yoke  together,  as  we  do  oxen  and  horses, 


130  VOYAOES  IN  SEABCH  OF  , 

to  a  sled  or  trail,  and  so  carry  their  necessaries  over 
the  ice  and  snow,  from  place  to  place,  as  the 
captain,  whom  we  have,  made  perfect  signs.  And 
when  those  dogs  are  not  apt  for  the  same  use,  or  when 
with  hunger  they  are  constrained  for  lack  of  other 
victuals,  they  eat  them,  so  that  they  are  as  needful  for 
them,  in  respect  of  their  bigness,  as  our  oxen  are  for 
us. 

They  apparel  themselves  in  the  skins  of  such  beasts 
as  they  kill,  sewed  together  with  the  sinews  of  them. 
All  the  fowl  which  they  kill  they  skin,  and  make 
thereof  one  kind  of  garment  or  other  to  defend  them 
from  the  cold. 

They  make  their  apparel  with  hoods  and  tails,  which 
tails  they  give,  when  they  think  to  gratify  any  friend- 
ship shown  unto  them ;  a  great  sign  of  friendship  with 
them.     The  men  have  them  not  so  syde  as  the  women. 

The  men  and  women  wear  their  hose  close  to  their 
legs,  from  the  waist  to  the  knee,  without  any  open 
before,  as  well  the  one  kind  as  the  other.  Upon  their 
legs  they  wear  hose  of  leather,  with  the  fur  side  in- 
ward, two  or  three  pair  on  at  once,  and  especially  the 
women.  In  those  hose  they  put  their  knives,  needles, 
and  other  things  needful  to  bear  about.  They  put  a 
bone  within  their  hose,  which  reacheth  from  the  foot 
to  the  knee,  whereupon  they  draw  their  said  hose,  and 
so  in  place  of  garters  they  are  holden  from  falling 
down  about  their  feet. 

They  dress  their  skins  very  soft  and  supple  with  the 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  Ill 

hair  on.  In  cold  weather  or  winter  tliey  wear  the  fur 
side  inward,  and  in  summer  ontward.  Other  apparel 
they  have  none  but  the  said  skins. 

Those  beasts,  fishes,  and  fowls  which  they  Mil  sre 
their  meat,  drink,  apparel,  houses,  bedding,  hose, 
shoes,  thread,  and  sails  for  their  boats,  with  many 
other  necessaries,  whereof  they  stand  in  need,  and 
almost  all  their  riches. 

The  houses  are  tents  made  of  seal  skins,  pitched  np 
with  four  fir  quarters,  four-square,  meeting  at  the  top, 
and  the  skins  sewed  together  with  sinews,  and  laid 
thereupon ;  they  are  so  pitched  up,  that  the  entrance 
into  them  is  always  south,  or  against  the  sun. 

They  have  other  sort  of  houses,  which  we  found  not 
to  be  inhabited,  which  are  raised  with  stones  and 
whalebones,  and  a  skin  laid  over  them  to  withstand 
the  rain,  or  other  weather ;  the  entrance  of  them  being 
not  much  unlike  an  oven's  mouth,  whereunto,  I  think, 
they  resort  for  a  time  to  fish,  hunt,  and  fowl,  and  so 
leave  them  until  the  next  time  they  come  thither  again. 

Their  weapons  are  bows,  arrows,  darts,  and  slings. 
Their  bows  are  of  wood,  of  a  yard  long,  sinewed  on 
the  back  with  firm  sinews,  not  glued  to,  but  fast 
girded  and  tied  on.  Their  bow  strings  are  likewise 
sinews.  Their  arrows  are  three  pieces,  nocked  with 
bone  and  ended  with  bone ;  with  those  two  ends,  and 
the  wood  in  the  midst,  they  pass  not  in  length  half  a 
yard,  or  little  more.  They  are  feathered  with  two 
feathers,  the  pen  end  being  out  away,  and  the  feathers 


112  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

laid  upon  the  arrow  with  the  broad  side  to  the  wood, 
insomuch,  that  they  seem,  when  they  are  tied  on,  to 
have  four  feathers.  They  have  likewise  three  sorts  of 
heads  to  those  arrows ;  one  sort  of  stone  or  iron,  pro- 
portioned like  to  a  heart;  the  second  sort  of  bone 
much  like  unto  a  stopt  head,  with  a  hook  on  the  same, 
the  third  sort  of  bone  likewise,  made  sharp  at  both 
sides,  and  sharp  pointed.  They  are  not  made  very 
fast,  but  lightly  tied  to,  or  else  set  in  a  nocke,  that, 
upon  small  occasion,  the  arrow  leaveth  these  heads  be- 
hind them;  they  are  of  sma,ll  force  except  they  be 
very  near  when  they  shoot. 

Their  darts  are  made  of  two  sorts :  the  one  with 
many  forks  of  bones  in  the  fore  end,  and  likewise  in 
the  midst ;  their  proportions  are  not  much  unlike  oup 
toasting-irons,  but  longer;  these  they  cast  out  of  an 
instrument  of  wood  very  readily.  The  other  sort  is 
greater  than  the  first  aforesaid,  with  a  long  bone  made 
shai;p  on  both  sides,  not  much  unlike  a  rapier,  which 
I  take  to  be  their  most  hurtful  weapon. 

They  have  two  sorts  of  boats  made  of  leather,  set 
out  on  tlie  inner  side  with  quarters  of  wood,  artificially 
tied  together  with  thongs  of  the  same;  the  greater 
eort  are  not  much  unlike  our  wherries,  wherein  sixteen 
or  twenty  men  may  sit ;  they  have  for  a  sail  dressed 
the  guts  of  such  beasts  as  they  kill;  very  fine  and  thin, 
which  they  sew  together;  the  other  boat  is  but  for 
one  man  to  sit  and  row  in,  with  one  oar. 
.Their  order  of  fishing,  hunting,  and  fowling,  are 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE,  113 

wiiii  these  said  weapons ;  but  in  what  sort  or  how  they 
use  them  we  have  no  perfect  knowledge  as  yet. 

I  can  suppose  their  abode  or  habitation  not  to  be 
here,  for  that  neither  their  houses  nor  apparel  are  of 
such  force  to  withstand  the  extremity  of  cold  that  the 
country  seemeth  to  be  infected  withal;  neither  do  I 
see  any  sign  likely  to  perform  the  same. 

Those  houses,  or  rather  dens,  which  stand  there, 
have  no  sign  of  footway,  or  anything  else  trodden, 
which  is  one  of  the  chief  est  tokens  of  habitation.  And 
those  tents,  which  they  bring  with  them,  when  they 
have  sufficiently  hunted  and  fished,  they  remove  to 
other  places ;  and  when  they  have  sufficiently  stored 
them  of  such  victuals  as  the  country  yieldeth,  or 
bringeth  f or  ;h,  they  return  to  their  winter  stations  or 
habitations.  This  conjecture  do  I  make  for  the  infer- 
tility which  1  perceive  to  be  in  that  country. 

They  have  some  iron,  whereof  they  make  arrow- 
heads, knives,  and  other  little  instruments,  to  work 
their  boats,  bows,  arrows,  and  darts  withal,  which^ 
are  very  unapt  to  do  anything  withal,  but  with  great 
labour. 

It  seemeth  that  they  have  conversation  with  some 
other  people,  of  whom  for  exchange  they  should  receive 
the  same.  They  are  greatly  delighted  with  anything 
that  is  bright  or  giveth  a  sound.  ,      < ; 

What  knowledge  they  have  of  God,  or  what  idol  they 
Adore,  we  have  no  perfect  intelligence.  I  think  them 
rather  anthropophagi,  or  devourers  of  man's  flesh,  than 


114  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH   OF 

otherwise :  that  tliore  is  no  flesh  or  fish  which  they 
find  dead  (smell  it  never  so  filthily),  but  they  will  eat  it 
as  they  find  it  without  any  other  dressing.  A  loathsome 
thing,  either  to  the  beholders  or  the  hearers.  There  is 
no  manner  of  creeping  beast  hurtful,  except  some 
spiders  (which  as  many  affirm  are  signs  of  great  store 
of  gold),  and  also  certain  stinging  gnats,  which  bite  so 
fiercely  that  the  place  wh^re  they  bite  shortly  after 
swelleth,  and  itcheth  very  sore. 

They  make  signs  of  certain  people  that  wear  bright 
plates  of  gold  in  their  foreheads  and  other  places  of 
their  bodies. 

The  countries  on  both  sides  the  straits  lie  very  high^ 
with  rough  stony  mountains,  and  great  quantity  of 
snow  thereon.  There  is  very  little  plain  ground^  and 
no  grass  except  a  little,  which  is  much  like  unto  moss, 
that  groweth  on  soft  ground,  such  as  we  get  turfs  in. 
There  is  no  wood  at  all.  To  be  brief,  there  is  nothing 
fit  or  profitable  for  the  use  of  man  which  that  country 
with  root  yieldeth  or  bringeth  forth ;  howbeit  there  is 
great  quantity  of  deer,  whose  skins  are  like  unto  asses', 
their  heads  or  horns  do  far  exceed,  as  well  in  length  as 
also  in  breadth,  any  in  these  our  parts  or  countries : 
their  feet  likewise  are  as  great  as  our  oxen's,  which  we 
measured  to  be  seven  or  eight  inches  in  breadth.  There 
are  also  hares,  wolves,  fishing  bears,  and  sea-fowl  of 
sundry  sorts. 

As  the  country  is  barren  and  unfertile,  so  are 
they  rude,  and  of  no  capacity  to  culture  the  same  to 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  115 

any  perfection ;  but  are  contented  by  their  hunting, 
fishing,  and  fowling,  with  raw  flesh  and  warm  blood,  to 
satisfy  their  greedy  paunches,  which  is  their  only 
glory. 

There  is  great  likelihood  of  earthquakes  or  thunder, 
for  there  are  huge  and  L^ioustrous  mountains,  whose 
greatest  substance  are  stones,  and  tliose  stones  so  shapen 
with  some  extraordinary  means,  that  one  is  separated 
from  another,  which  is  discordant  from  all  other 
quarries. 

There  are  no  rivers  or  running  springs,  but  such  as 
through  the  heat  of  the  sun,  with  such  water  as  descen- 
deth  from  the  mountains  and  hills,  whereon  great  drifts 
of  snow  do  lie,  are  engendered. 

It  argueth  also  that  there  should  be  none ;  for  that 
the  earth,  which  with  the  extremity  of  the  winter  is  so 
frozen  within,  that  that  water  which  should  have  re- 
course within  the  same  to  maintain  springs  hath  not  his 
motion,  whereof  great  waters  have  their  origin,  as  by 
experience  is  seen  otherwhere.  Such  valleys  as  are 
capable  to  receive  the  water,  that  in  the  summer  time, 
by  the  operation  of  the  sun,  descendeth  from  great 
abundance  of  snow,  which  continually  lieth  on  the 
mountains,  and  hath  no  passage,  sinketh  into  the  earth, 
and  80  yanisheth  away,  without  any  runnel  above  the 
earth,  by  which  occasion  or  continual  standing  of  the 
said  water  the  earth  is  opened  and  the  great  frost 
yieldeth  to  the  force  thereof,  which  in  other  places, 
four  or  five  fathoms  within  the  ground,  for  lack  of  the 


116  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH  OF 

said  moisture,  the  earth  even  in  the  very  summer  time 
is  frozen,  and  so  combineth  the  stones  together,  that 
scarcely  instrmnonts  with  great  force  can  unknit  them. 

Also,  where  the  water  in  those  valleys  can  have  no 
such  passage  away,  by  the  continuance  of  time  in  such 
order  as  is  before  rehearsed,  the  yearly  descent  from  the 
mountains  fiUeth  them  full,  that  at  the  lowest  bank  of 
the  same  they  fall  into  the  next  valley,  and  so  continue 
as  fishing  ponds,  in  summer  time  full  of  water,  and  in 
the  winter  hard  frozen,  as  by  scars  that  remain  thereof 
in  summer  may  easily  be  perceived ;  so  that  the  heat 
of  summer  is  nothing  comparable  or  of  force  to 
dissolve  the  extremity  of  cold  that  cometh  in  winter. 

Nevertheless,  I  am  assured,  that  below  the  force  of 
the  frost,  within  the  earth,  the  waters  have  recourse, 
and  empty  themselves  out  of  sight  into  the  sea,  which, 
through  the  extremity  of  the  frost,  are  constrained  to 
do  the  same ;  by  which  occasion,  the  earth  within  is 
kept  the  warmer,  and  springs  have  their  recourse, 
which  is  the  only  nutriment  of  gold  and  minerals 
within  the  same. 

There  is  much  to  be-  said  of  the  commodities  of  these 
countries,  which  are  couched  within  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  which  I  let  pass  till  more  perfect  trial  be  made 
thereof. 

Thus  conjecturing,  till  time,  with  the  earnest  indus- 
try of  our  general  and  others  (who,  by  all  diligence, 
remain  pressed  to  explore  the  truth  of  that  which  is 
unexplored,  as  he  hath  to  his  everlasting  praise  found 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  117 

oat  that  which  is  like  to  yield  an  innumerable  benefit 
to  his  prince  and  country),  of^er  further  trial,  I  con- 
clude. 

The  23rd  August,  after  we  had  satisfied  our  minds 
with  freight  sufficient  for  our  vessels,  though  not  our 
covetous  desires,  with  such  knowledge  of  the  country, 
people,  and  other  commodities  as  are  before  rehearsed, 
the  2 1th  thereof  we  doparted  there  hence  :  the  17th  of 
September  we  fell  with  the  Land's  End  of  England, 
and  so  to  Milf ord  Haven,  from  whence  our  general  rowed 
to  the  court  for  order  to  what  port  or  haven  to  conduct 
the  ship. 

"We  lost  our  two  barques  in  the  way  homoward,  the 
one  the  29th  of  August,  the  other  the  31st  of  the  same 
month,  by  occasion  of  great-  tempest  and  fog ;  liow- 
beit,  God  restored  the  one  to  Bristol,  and  the  other 
making  his  course  by  Scotland  to  Yarmouth.  In  this 
voyage  we  lost  two  men,  one  in  the  way  by  God's  visit- 
ation, and  the  other  homeward,  cast  overboard  with  a 
surge  of  tlie  sea.    . 

I  could  declare  unto  the  readers  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  such  places  and  regions  as  we  have  been 
at,  but  not  altogether  so  perfectly  as  our  masters  and 
others,  with  many  circumstances  of  tempests  and  other 
accidents  incident  to  seafaring  men,  which  seem  not 
altogether  strange,  but  I  let  them  pasy  to  their  re- 
ports as  men  most  apt  to  set  forth  and  declare  the 
same.  I  have  also  left  the  names  of  the  countries  on 
both  the  shores  untouched  for  lack  of  understanding 


118  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

the  people's  language,  as  also  for  sundry  respects  not 
needful  as  yet  to  be  declared. 

Countries  new  explored,  where  commodity  is  to  be 
looked  for,  do  better  accord  with  a  new  name  given  by 
the  explorers  tlian  an  uncertain  name  by  a  doubtful 
author. 

Our  general  named  sundry  islands,  mountains,  capes, 
and  harbours  after  the  names  of  divers  noblemen,  and 
other  gentlemen  his  friends,  as  well  on  the  one  shore 
as  also  on  the  other. 


THE   THIRD  AND   LAST   VOYAGE  INTO 
META    INCOGNITA, 

Made  by  Master  Martin  Frobisher,  in  the  year 
1578,  written  by  Thomas  Ellis. 

These  are  to  let  you  know,  that  upon  the  25th  May, 
the  Thomas  Allen,  being  vice-admiral,  whose  captain 
was  Master  Toi'ke;  Master  Gibbes,  master;  Master 
Christopher  Hall,  pilot,  accompanied  with  the  rear- 
admiral,  named  the  Hopewell,  whose  captain  was  Master 
Henry  Carew,  the  Master  Andrew  Dier,  and  certain 
other  ships,  came  to  Gravesend,  where  we  anchored, 
and  abode  the  coming  of  certain  other  of  our  fleet, 
which  were  not  yet  come. 

The  27th  of  the  same  month,  our  fleet  being  now 
oome  together,  and  all  things  pressed  in  a  readiness, 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.       *  119 

the  wind  favouring  and  tide  serving,  we  being  of 
sails  in  number  eight,  weighed  anchors,  and  hoisted 
our  sails  towards  Harwich,  to  meet  with  our  admiral 
and  the  residue,  which  then  and  there  abode  our  arrival, 
where  we  safely  arrived  the  28th  thereof  ;  finding  there 
our  admiral,  whon  we,  with  the  discharge  of  certain 
pieces,  saluted  (according  to  order  and  duty),  and  were 
welcomed  with  the  like  courtesy,  which  being  finislied 
we  landed,  where  our  general  continued  mustering  his 
soldiers  and  miners,  ^nd  setting  things  in  order  apper- 
taining to  the  voyage,  until  the  last  of  the  said  month 
of  May,  which  day  we  hoisted  our  sails,  and  commit- 
ting ourselves  to  tlie  conducting  of  Almighty  God,  we 
set  forward  toward  the  West  Country,  in  such  lucky 
wise  and  good  success,  that  by  the  5th  June  we 
passed  the  Dursies,  being  the  utmost  part  of  Ireland, 
to  the  westward. 

And  here  it  were  not  much  amiss,  nor  far  from  our 
l^urpose,  if  I  should  a  little  discourse  and  speak  of  our 
adventures  and  chances  by  the  way,  as  our  landing  at 
Plymouth  as  also  the  meeting  of  certain  poor  men, 
which  were  robbed  and  spoiled  of  all  that  they  had  by 
pirates  and  rovers  ;  amongst  whom  was  a  man  of 
Bristol,  on  whom  our  general  used  his  liberality,  and 
sent  him  away  with  letters  into  England. 

But  because  such  things  are  impertinent  to  the 
matter,  I  wiU  return  (without  any  more  mentioning  of 
the  same)  to  that  from  which  I  have  digressed  and 
swerved,  I  mean  our  ships,  now  sailing  on  the  surging 


120  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

seas,  sometimes  passing  at  pleasure  with  a  wished 
eastern  wind,  sometimes  hindered  of  our  course  again 
by  the  western  blasts,  until  the  20th  day  of  the  fore- 
said month  of  June,  on  which  day  in  the  morning  we 
fell  in  with  Friesland,  which  is  a  very  high  and  cragged 
land,  and  was  almost  clean  covered  with  snow,  so  that 
we  might  see  nought  but  craggy  rocks  and,  the  tops  of 
high  and  huge  hills,  sometimes  (and  for  the  most  part) 
all  covered  with  foggy  mists.  There  might  we  also 
perceive  the  great  isles  of  ice  lying  on  the  seas  like 
mountains,  some  small,  some  big,  of  sundry  kind^  of 
shapes,  and  such  a  number  of  them,  that  we  could  not 
come  near  the  shore  for  them. 

Thus  sailing  along  the  coast,  at  the  last  we  saw  a 
place  somewhat  void  of  ice,  where  our  general  (accom- 
panied with  certain  other)  went  ashore,  where  they 
saw  certain  tents  made  of  boasts'  skins,  and  boats  much 
like  unto  theirs  of  Meta  Incognita.  The  tents  were 
furnished  with  flesh,  fish,  skins,  and  other  trifles : 
amongst  the  which  was  found  a  box  of  nails,  whereby  wd 
did  conjecture  that  they  had  either  artificers  amongst 
them,  or  else  a  traffic  with  some  other  iiaMon.  The 
men  ran  awav,  so  that  we  could  have  no  conference  or 
communication  with  them.  Our  general  (because  he 
would  have  tliem  no  more  to  flee,  but  rather  encourng'od 
to  stay  througli  his  courteous  dealing)  gave  command- 
ment that  his  men  should  take  nothing  away  with 
(I. em,  saving  only  a  couple  of  wliite  dogs,  for  which  he 
left  pius,  points,  knives,  and  other  trifling  things,  and 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  121 

departed,  without  taking  or  hurting  anything,  and  so 
came  aboard,  and  hoisted  sails  and  passed  forwards. 

But  being  scarce  out  of  the  siglit  thereof,  there  fell 
such  a  fog  and  hideous  mist  that  we  conld  not  see  one 
another;  whereupon  wo  struck  our  drinns,  and  sounded 
our  trumpets  to  the  end  we  miglit  keep  together;  and 
so  continued  all  tliat  day  and  night,  till  the  next  da}', 
that  the  mist  brake  up ;  so  that  we  might  easily  per- 
ceive all  the  shij)s  thus  sailing  togoihor  all  that  day, 
imtil  the  next  day,  being  the  2:hid  of  the  same,  on 
which  day  we  saw  an  inllnite  number  of  ice,  from  the 
which  we  cast  about  to  sliun  the  danger  thereof. 

But  one  of  our  small  barques  named  the  3Iichael, 
whose  captain  was  Master  Kinderslie,  the  master, 
Bartholomew  Bull,  lost  our  company,  insomuch  that 
we  could  not  obtain  the  sight  of  her  many  days  after,  of 
whom  I  mean  to  speak  further  anon,  when  occasioi 
shall  be  ministered,  and  opportunity  served.  Thus  we 
continued  on  our  course  until  the  2nd  of  July,  on 
which  day  we  fell  with  the  Queen's  Foreland,  where 
we  saw  so  much  ice,  that  we  thought  it  impossible  to 
get  into  the  straits,  yet  at  the  last  we  gave  the  adven- 
ture, and  entered  the  ice. 

Being  in  amongst  it,  we  saw  the  Michael,  of  whom 
I  spake  before,  accompanied  with  the  Judith,  whose 
captain  was  Master  Fenton,  the  master,  Charles  Jack- 
man,  bearing  into  the  aforesaid  ice,  far  distant  from  us, 
who  in  a  storm  that  fell  that  present  night  (whereof  1 
will  at  large,  God  willing,  discourse  hereafter),  were 


122  VOYAGES  IN   SEARCH  OF 

severed  from  us,  and  being  in,  wandered  up  and  down 
the  straits  amongst  tlie  ice,  many  days  in  great  peril, 
till  at  the  last  (by  the  providence  of  God)  they  came 
safely  to  harbour  in  their  wished  port  in  the  Countess 
of  Warwick's  Sound  the  20th  July  aforesaid,  ten  days 
before  any  of  the  other  ships ;  who  going  on  shore, 
found  where  the  people  of  the  country  had  been,  and 
had  hid  their  provision  in  great  heaps  of  stone,  being 
both  of  flesh  and  fish,  which  they  had  killed,  whereof 
we  also  found  great  store  in  other  places  after  our 
arrival.  They  found  also  divers  engines,  as  bows, 
slings,  and  darts.  They  found  likewise  certain  pieces 
of  the  pinnace  which  our  general  left  there  the  year 
before ;  which  pinnace  he  had  sunk,  minding  to  have  it 
again  the  next  year. 

Now,  seeing  I  have  entreated  so  much  of  the 
Judith  and  the  Michael,  I  will  return  to  the  rest  of  the 
other  ships,  and  will  speak  a  little  of  the  storm  which 
fell,  with  the  mishaps  that  we  had,  the  night  that  we 
put  into  the  ice,  whereof  I  made  mention  before. 

At  the  first  entry  into  the  ice,  in  the  mouth  of  the 
straits,  our  passage  was  very  narrow  and  difficult ;  but 
being  once  gotten  in,  we  had  a  fair,  open  place  without 
any  ice  for  the  most  part ;  being  a  league  in  compass, 
the  ice  being  round  about  us,  and  enclosing  us,  as  it 
were,  within  the  pales  of  a  park.  In  which  place 
(because  it  was  almost  night)  we  minded  to  take  in  our 
sails  and  lie  a  hull  all  that  night.  But  the  storm  so 
increased,  and  the  waves  began  to  mount  aloft,  which 


-•» 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  123 


brought  the  ice  so  near  us,  and  coming  in  so  fast 
upon  us,  that  we  were  fain  to  bear  in  and  out,  where 
we  might  espy  an  open  place.  Thus  the  ice  coming 
on  us  so  fast  we  were  in  great  danger,  looking  every 
hour  for  death,  and  thus  passed  we  on  in  that  great 
danger,  seeing  both  ourselves  and  the  rest  of  our  ships 
so  tupubled  and  tossed  amongst  the  ice,  that  it  would 
make  the  strongest  heart  to  relent. 

At  the  last,  the  barque  Bionyse,  being  but  a  weak 
ship,  and  bruised  afore  amongst  the  ice,  being  so 
leak  that  she  no  longer  could  carry  above  water,  sank 
without  saving  any  of  the  goods  which  were  in  her : 
the  sight  so  abashed  the  whole  fleet,  that  we  thought 
verily  we  should  have  tasted  of  the  same  sauce.  But 
nevertheless,  we  seeing  them  in  such  danger,  manned 
our  boats,  and  saved  all  the  men,  in  such  wise  that 
not  one  perished.     (God  be  thanked.) 

The  storm  still  increased  and  the  ice  enclosed  us, 
that  we  were  fain  to  take  down  top  and  topmasts ;  for 
the  ice  had  so  environed  us,  that  we  could  see  neither 
land  nor  sea  as  far  as  we  could  ken ;  so  that  we  were 
fain  to  cut  our  cables  to  hang  overboard  for  fenders, 
somewhat  to  ease  the  ship's  sides  from  the  great  and 
dreary  strokes  of  the  ice;  some  with  capstan  bars, 
some  fending  off  with  oars,  some  with  planks  of  two 
inches  thick,  which  were  broken  immediately  with  the 
force  of  tlie  ice,  some  going  out  upon  the  ice,  to  bear  it 
off  with  their  shoulders  from  the  ships.  But  the 
rigorousness  of  the  tempest  was  such,  and  the  force  of 


124  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

the  ice  so  great,  that  not  only  they  burst  and  spoiled 
the  foresaid  provision,  but  likewise  so  raised  the 
sides  of  the  ships  that  it  was  pitiful  to  behold,  and 
caused  the  hearts  of  many  to  faint. 

Thus  continued  we  all  that  dismal  and  lamentable 
night,  plunged  in  this  perplexity,  looking  for  instant 
death ;  but  our  God  (who  never  leaveth  them  destitute 
which  faithfully  call  upon  Him),  although  He  often 
punisheth  for  amendment's  sake,  in*  the  morning 
caused  the  winds  to  cease,  and  the  fog,  which  all  that 
night  lay  on  the  face  of  the  water,  to  clear,  so  that  we 
might  perceive  about  a  mile  from  us  a  certain  place 
clear  from  any  ice,  to  the  which  with  an  easy  breath  of 
wind,  which  our  God  sent  us,  we  bent  ourselves,  and 
furthermore  He  provided  better  for  us  than  we 
deserved,  or  hoped  for ;  for  when  we  were  in  the  fore- 
said clear  place,  He  sent  us  a  fresh  gale  at  west,  or  at 
west-south-west,  which  set  us  clear  without  all  the 
ice.  And  further  He  added  more,  for  He  sent  us  so 
pleasant  a  day,  as  the  like  we  had  not  of  a  long  time 
before,  as  after  punishment  consolation. 

Thus  we  joyful  whites,  being  at  liberty,  took  in  all 
our  sails,  and  lay  a  hull,  praising  God  for  our  deliver- 
ance, and  stayed  to  gather  together  our  fleet ;  which 
once  being  done,  we  seeing  that  none  of  tliem  had  any 
great  hurt,  neither  any  of  them  wanted,  saving  only 
they  of  whom  I  spake  before,  and  the  ship  which  was 
lost,  then  at  the  last  we  hoisted  our  sails,  and  lay 
bultiiig  off  and  on,  till  such  time  as  it  would  please 


THE  NORTH- WEST  PASSAGE.  125 

God  to  take  away  the  ice,  that  we  might  get  into  the 
straits. 

As  we  thus  lay  ofE  and  on,  we  came  by  a  marvellous 
huge  mountain  of  ice,  which  surpassed  all  the  rest  that 
ever  we  saw,  for  we  judged  it  to  be  near  four  score 
fathoms  above  water,  and  we  thought  it  to  be  aground 
for  anything  that  we  could  perceive,  being  there  nine 
score  fathoms  deep,  and  of  compass  about  half  a  mile. 

Also  the  fifth  of  July  there  fell  a  hideous  fog  and 
mist,  that  continued  till  the  nineteenth  of  the  same,  so 
that  one  ship  could  not  see  another.  Therefore  we 
were  fain  to  bea^r  a  small  sail,  and  to  observe  the  time, 
but  there  ran  such  a  current  of  tide,  that  it  set  us  to 
the  north-west  of  the  Queen's  Foreland,  the  back  side 
of  all  the  straits,  where  (through  the  contagious  fog 
having  no  sight  either  of  sun  or  star)  we  scarce  knew 
where  we  were.  In  this  fog  tlie  10th  July  we  lost  the 
company  of  the  Vice-Adiniral,  the  Anne  Francis,  the 
Busse  of  Bridgewater,  and  the  Francis  of  Foy. 

The  sixteenth  day,  one  of  our  small  barques,  named 
the  Gabriel,  was  sent  by  our  general  to  bear  in  with 
the  land,  to  descry  it,  where,  being  on  land,  they  met 
with  the  people  of  the  country,  whicli  seemed  very 
humane  and  civilised,  and  offered  to  traffic  with  our 
men,  proffering  them  fowls  and  skins  for  knives  and 
other  trifles,  whose  courtesy  caused  us  to  think  that 
they  had  small  conversation  with  the  other  of  the 
straits,.  Then  we  bare  back  again,  to  go  with  the 
Queen's  Foreland,  and  the  18tli  day  we  came  by  two 


126  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH   OJj' 

islands,  whereon  we  went  on  shore,  and  found  where 
the  people  had  been,  but  we  saw  none  of  them.  This 
day  we  were  again  in  the  ice,  and  like  to  be  in  as  great 
peril  as  we  were  at  the  first.  For  through  the  dark- 
ness and  obscurity  of  the  foggy  mist  we  were  almost 
run  on  rocks  and  islands  before  we  saw  them :  but 
God  (even  miraculously)  provided  for-  us,  opening  the 
fogs  that  we  might  see  clearly,  both  where  and  in  what 
danger  we  presently  were,  and  also  the  way  to  escape ; 
OP  else,  without  fail  we  had  ruinously  run  upon  the 
rocks. 

"When  we  knew  perfectly  our  instant  case,  we  cast 
about  to  get  again  on  sea  board,  which  (God  be 
thanked)  by  night  we  obtained,  and  praised  God.  The 
clear  continued  scarce  an  hour,  but  the  fog  fell  again 
as  thick  as  ever  it  was. 

Then  the  Mear- Admiral  and  the  Bear  got  them- 
selves clear  without  danger  of  ice  and  rocks,  struck 
the" ;  sails  and  lay  a  hull,  staying  to  have  the  rest  of 
the  fleet  come  forth,  which  as  yet  had  not  found  the 
riglit  way  to  clear  themselves  from  the  danger  of  rocks 
and  ice,  until  the  next  morning,  at  what  time  the  Rear- 
Admiral  discliarged  certain  warning  pieces,  to  give 
notice  that  she  had  escaped,  and  that  the  rest  (by 
following  of  her)  might  set  themselves  free,  which 
they  did  that  day.  Then  having  gathered  ourselves 
together,  we  proceeded  on  our  purposed  voyage, 
bearing  off,  and  keeping  ourselves  distant  from  the 
coast,  until  the  19tli  day  of  July,  at  which  time  the 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  127 

fogs  brake  up  and  dispersed,  so  that  we  might  plainly 
and  clearly  behold  the  pleasant  air  which  had  so  long 
been  taken  from  us  by  the  obscurity  of  the  foggy 
mists ;  and,  after  that  time,  we  were  not  much  encum- 
bered therewith  until  we  had  left  the  confines  of  the 
country. 

Then  we,  espying  a  fair  sound,  supposed  it  to  go 
into  the  straits,  between  the  Queen's  Foreland  and 
Jackman's  Sound,  which  proved  as  we  imagined.  For 
our  general  sent  forth  again  the  Gabriel  to  dis- 
cover it,  who  passed  through  with  much  difficulty,  for 
there  ran  such  an  extreme  current  of  a  tide,  with  so 
horrible  a  gulf,  that  with  a  fresh  gale  of  wind  they 
were  scarce  able  to  stem  it,  yet  at  the  length  with 
great  travel  they  passed  it,  and  came  to  the  straits,  where 
they  met  with  the  Thomas  Allen,  the  Thomas  of  Ips- 
wich, and  the  Bvsse  of  BriJgeioater,  who  all  together 
adventured  to  bear  into  the  ice  again,  to  see  if  they 
could  obtain  their  wished  port.  But  they  were  so 
encumbered,  lliat  with  much  difficulty  they  were  able 
to  get  out  again,  yet  at  the  last  they  escaping  the 
Thomas  Allen  and  the  Gabriel,  bear  in  with  the 
western  shore,  whore  they  found  harbour,  and  they 
moored  their  ships  until  the  4th  of  August,  at  which 
time  they  came  to  us,  in  the  Countess  of  "Warwick's 
Sound.  The  Thomas  of  Ipswich  caught  a  great  leak, 
which  caused  her  to  cast  again  to  sea  board,  and  so 
was  mended. 

We  sailed  along  still  by  the  coast  until  we  came  to 


128  YOYAQES  IN  SEABOH  07 

the  Queen's  Foreland,  at  the  point  whereof  we  met 
with  part  of  the  gulf  aforesaid,  which  place  or  gulf  (as 
some  of  our  masters  do  credibly  report)  doth  flow  nine 
hours  and  ebbs  but  three.  At  that  point  we  discovered 
certain  lands  southward,  which  neither  time  nor  op- 
portunity would  serve  to  search.  .Then  being  come  to 
the  mouth  of  the  straits,  we  met  with  the  Anne  Francis, 
who  had  lain  bulting  up  and  down  ever  since  her  de- 
parture alone,  never  finding  any  of  her  company.  We 
met  then  also  the  Francis  of  Foy,  wtth  whom  again 
we  intended  to  venture  and  get  in,  but  the  ice  was 
yet  so  thick,  that  we  were  compelled  again  to  retire  and 
get  us  on  sea  board. 

There  fell  also  the  same  day,  being  the  26th  July, 
such  a  horrible  snow,  tliat  it  lay  a  foot  thick  upon 
the  hatclies,  which  froze  as  fast  as  it  fell. 

"VVe  had  also  at  other  times  divers  cruel  storms,  both 
snow  and  hail,  which  manifestly  declared  the  distem- 
perature  of  the  country :  yet  for  all  that  we  were  so 
many  times  repulsed  and  put  back  from  our  purpose, 
knowing  tliat  lingtiring  delay  was  not  profitable  for  us, 
but  hurtful  to  our  voyage,  we  mutually  consented  to 
our  valiant  general  once  again  to  give  the  onset. 

The  28th  day,  therefore,  of  the  same  July  we  assayed, 
and  with  little  trouble  (God  be  praised)  we  passed  the 
dangers  by  daylight.  Then  night  falling  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  we  hulled  in  the  clear,  till  the  cheerful 
light  of  the  day  had  chased  away  the  noisome  darkness 
of  the  night,  at  which  time  we  set  forward  toward  our 


THE   NOKTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  129 

wished  port ;  by  the  30th  day  we  obtained  our  expected 
desire,  where  we  found  the  Judith  and  the  Michael^ 
which  brought  no  small  joy  unto  the  general,  and  great 
consolation  to  the  heavy  hears  of  those  wearied 
wights. 

The  30th  day  of  July  we  brought  our  ships  into  the 
Countess  of  Warwick's  Sound,  and  moored  •  them, 
namely  these  ships,  the  Admiral,  the  Bear-Admiral, 
the  Francis  of  Foy,  the  Bear,  Armenel,  the  Salomon, 
and  the  Busse  of  Bridgewater,  which  being  done,  our 
general  commanded  us  all  to  come  ashore  upon  the 
Countess  Island,  where  he  set  his  miners  to  work 
upon  the  mine,  giving  charge  with  expedition  to  de- 
spatch with  their  lading. 

Our  general  himself,  accompanied  with  his  gentle- 
men, divers  times  made  roads  into  sundry  parts  of  the 
country,  as  well  to  find  new  mines  as  also  to  find  out 
and  see  the  people  of  the  country.  He  found  out  one 
mine,  upon  an  island  by  Bear's  Sound,  and  named  it 
the  Countess  of  Sussex  Island.  One  other  was  found 
in  Winter's  Fornace,  with  divers  others,  to  which  the 
ships  were  sent  sunderly  to  be  laden.  In  the  same 
roads  he  met  with  divers  of  the  people  of  the  country 
at  sundry  times,  as  once  at  a  place  called  David's 
Sound,  who  shot  at  our  men,  and  very  desperately  gave 
them  the  onset,  being  not  above  three  or  four  in 
number,  there  being  of  our  countrymen  above  a  dozen ; 
but  seeing  themselves  not  able  to  prevail,  they  took 

themselves  to  flight,  whom  our  men  pursued,  but  being 
E— 35 


130  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

not  used  to  such  craggy  cliffs,  they  soon  lost  the  sight 
of  them,  and  so  in  vain  resumed. 

We  also  saw  them  at  Bear's  Sound,  both  by  sea  and 
land,  in  great  companies  ;  but  they  would  at  all  times 
keep  the  water  between  them  and  us.  And  if  any  of 
our  ships  chanced  to  be  in  the  sound  (as  they  came 
divers  times),  because  the  harbour  was  not  very  good, 
the  ship  laded,  and  departed  again ;  then  so  long  as  any 
ships  were  in  sight,  the  people  would  not  be  seen.  But 
when  .as  they  perceived  the  ships 'to  be  gone,  they 
would  not  only  show  themselves  standing  upon  high 
cliffs,  and  call  us  to  come  over  unto  them,  but  also 
would  come  in  their  boats  very  near  to  us,  as  it  were  to 
brag  at  us ;  whereof  our  general,  having  advertisement, 
sent  for  the  captain  and  gentlemen  of  the  ships  to 
accompany  and  attend  upon  him,  with  the  captain  also 
of  the  Anne  Francis,  who  was  but  the  night  before 
come  unto  us.  For  they  and  the  fleet-boat,  having  lost 
us  the  26th  day,  in  the  great  snow,  put  into  a  harbour 
in  the  Queen's  Foreland,  where  they  found  good  ore, 
wherewith  they  laded  themselves,  and  came  to  seek  the 
general ;  so  tliat  now  we  had  all  our  ships,  saving  one 
barque,  which  was  lost,  and  the  Thomas  of  Ipswich 
who  (compelled  by  what  fury  I  know  not)  forsook  our 
company,  and  returned  home  without  lading. 

Our  general,  accompanied  with  his  gentlemen  (of 
whom  I  spake),  came  altogether  to  the  Countess  of 
Sussex  Island,  near  to  Bear's  Sound,  where  he  manned 
out  certain  pinnaces  and  went  over  to  the  people,  who, 


THE   NORTii-VVEfcT  PASSAciE.  131 

perceiving  his  arrival,  flod  away  with  all  speed,  and  in 
haste  left  certain  darts  and  other  engines  behind  them 
which  we  found,  but  tlio  people  we  could  not  find. 

The  next  morning  our  general,  perceiving  certain  of 
them  in  boat  upon  the  sea,  gave  chase  to  them  in  a 
pinnace  under  sail,  with  afresh  gale  of  wind,  but  could 
by  no  means  come  near  unto  them,  for  the  longer  he 
sailed  the  farther  off  he  was  from  them,  which  well 
showed  their  cunning  and  activity.  Thus  time  wearing 
away,  and  the  day  of  our  departure  approaching,  our 
general  commanded  to  lade  with  all  expedition,  that  we 
might  be  again  on  sea  board  with  our  ship  ;  for  whilst 
we  were  in  the  country  we  were  in  continual  danger  of 
freezing  in,  for  often  snow  and  hail,  often  the  water 
was  so  much  frozen  and  congealed  in  the  niglit,  that  in 
the  morning  we  could  scarce  row  our  boats  or  pinnaces, 
especially  in  Dier's  Sound,  which  is  a  calm  and  still 
water,  which  caused  our  general  to  make  the  more 
haste,  so  that  by  the  30tli  day  of  August  we  were  all 
laden,  and  made  all  things  ready  to  depart.  But 
before  I  proceed  any  further  herein,  to  show  what 
fortune  befell  at  our  departure,  I  will  turn  my  pen  a 
little  to  Master  Captain  Fenton,  and  those  gentlemen 
which  should  have  inhabited  all  the  year  in  those 
countries,  wlioso  valiant  minds  were  much  to  be  com- 
mended, that  neither  fear  of  force,  nor  the  cruel  nipping 
storms  of  the  raging  winter,  neither  the  intemperature 
of  so  imhealthful  a  country,  neither  the  savageness  of 
the  people,  neither  the  sight  and  show  of  such  and  so 


132  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

many  strange  meteors,  neither  the  desire  id  return  to 
their  native  soil,  neither  regard  of  friends,  neither  care 
of  possessions  and  inheritances,  finally,  not  the  love  of 
life  (a  thing  of  all  other  most  sweet),  neither  the  terror 
of  dreadful  death  itself,  might  seem  to  be  of  sufficient 
force  to  withdraw  their  prowess,  or  to  restrain  from 
that  purpose,  thereby  to  have  profited  their  country ; 
but  that  with  most  willing  hearts,  venturous  minds, 
stout  stomachs,  and  singular  manhood, ^they  were  con- 
tent there  to  have  tarried  for  the  time,  among  a 
barbarous  and  uncivilised  people,  infidels  and  miscreants, 
to  have  made  their  dwelling,  not  terrified  with  the 
niaTiifold  and  imminent  dangers  which  they  were  like 
to  run  into ;  and  seeing  before  their  eyes  so  many 
casualties,  whereto  their  life  was  subject,  the  least 
whereof  would  have  made  a  milksop  Thersites  astonished 
and  utterly  discomfited ;  being,  I  say,  thus  minded  and 
purposed,  they  deserved  special  commendation,  for, 
doubtless,  they  had  done  as  they  intended,  if  luck  had 
not  withstood  their  willingness,  and  if  that  fortune  had 
not  so  frowned  upon  their  intents. 

For  the  bark  Dionyse,  which  was  lost,  had  in  her 
much  of  their  house,  which  was  prepared  and  should 
have  been  builded  for  them,  with  many  other  imple- 
ments. Also  the  Thomas  of  Ipswich,  which  had  most 
of  their  provision  in  her,  came  not  into  the  straits  at  all, 
neither  did  we  see  her  since  the  day  we  were  separated 
in  the  great  snow  (of  which  I  spake  before).  For  these 
causes,  having  not  their  house  nor  yet  provision,  they 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAQE.  133 

were  disappointed  of  their  pretence  to  tarry,  and  there- 
fore laded  their  sliips  and  so  came  away  with  us. 

But  before  w^  took  shipping,  we  builded  a  little 
house  in  the  Countess  of  Warwick's  Island,  and  gar 
nished  it  with  many  kinds  of  trifles,  as  pins,  points, 
la<!es,  glasses,  combs,  babes  on  horseback  and  on  foot, 
with  innumerable  other  such  fancies  and  toys,  thereby 
to  allure  and  entice  the  people  to  some  familiarity 
against  ot]ier  years. 

Thus  having  finished  all  things  wo  departed  the 
country  (as  I  said  before) ;  but  because  the  Busse  had 
not  lading  enough  in  her,  she  put  into  Bear's  Sound 
to  take  a  little  more.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  Admiral, 
and  the  rest  without  the  sea,  stayed  for  her.  And 
that  night  fell  such  an  outrageous  tempest,  beating  on 
nur  ships  with  such  vehement  rigour  that  anchor  and 
cable  availed  nought,  for  we  were  driven  on  rocks  and 
islands  of  ice,  insomuch  that  had  not  the  great  goodness 
of  God  been  miraculously  showed  to  us,  we  had  been 
cast  away  every  man.  This  danger  was  more  doubtful 
and  t-errible  than  any  that  preceded  or  went  before,  for 
there  was  not  any  one  ship  (I  think)  that  escaped  with- 
out damage.  Some  lost  anchor,  and  also  gables,  some 
boats,  some  pinnaces,  some  anchor,  gables,  boats,  and 
pinnaces. 

This  boisterous  storm  so  severed  us  one  from  another, 
that  one  ship  knew  not  what  was  become  of  another. 
The  Admiral  knew  not  where  to  find  the  Yice-Ad/miral 
or  Bear- Admiral,  or  any  other  ship  of  our  company. 


134  VOYTAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

Our  general,  being  on  land  in  Bear's  Sound,  could  not 
come  to  his  ship,  but  was  compelled  to  go  aboard  the 
Gabriel,  where  he  continued  all  the  way  homewards, 
for  the  boisterous  blasts  continued  so  extremely,  and 
so  long  a  time,  that  it  sent  us  homeward  (which  was 
God's  favour  towards  us),  will  we,  nill  we,  in  such 
haste,  as  not  any  one  of  us  were  able  to  keep  in  com- 
pany of  other,  but  were  separated.  And  if  by  chance 
any  one  ship  did  overtake  other  by  swiftness  of  sail,  or 
met  (as  they  often  did),  yet  was  the  rigour  of  the  wind 
so  hideous,  that  they  could  not  continue  company 
together  the  space  of  one  whole  night. 

Thus  our  journey  outward  was  not  so  pleasant,  but 
our  coming  thither,  entering  the  coasts  and  country  by 
narrow  straits,  perilous  ice,  and  swift  tides,  our  times 
of  abode  there  in  snow  and  storms,  and  our  departure 
from  thence,  the  3rd  of  August,  with  dangerous  blus- 
tering winds  and  tempests,  which  that  night  arose, 
was  as  uncomfortable,  separating  us  so,  as  we  sailed, 
that  not  any  of  us  met  together  until  the  28th  of 
September,  which  day  we  fell  on  the  English  coasts, 
between  Scilly  and  the  Land's  End,  and  passed  the 
Channel,  until  our  arrival  in  the  river  Thames. 


THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  135 


THE  REPORT  OF  THOMAS  WIARS, 

Passenger  in  the  "  Emmanuel^''  otherwise  called  the 
"  Busse  of  Bridgewater^^  wherein  James  Leeche 
was  Master^  one  of  the  ships  in  the'  last  voyage 
of  Master  Martin  Frohisher,  1^78,  concerning 
the  discovery  of  the  great  island  in  their  way 
Iwmeward,  the  l'2th  of  September. 

The  Busse  of  Bridgewater  was  left  in  Bear's  Sound,  at 
Meta  Incognita,  the  2nd  day  of  September,  behind  the 
fleet,  in  some  distress,  through  much  wind  riding  near 
the  lee  shore,  and  forced  there  to  ride  it  out  upon  the 
hazard  of  her  cables  and  anchors,  which  were  all 
aground  but  two.  The  3rd  of  September  being  fair 
weather,  and  the  wind  north-north-west,  she  set 
sail,  and  departed  thence  and  fell  with  Friesland,  on 
the  8th  day  of  September,  at  six  of  the  clock  at  night, 
and  then  they  set  oif  from  the  south-west  point  of 
Friesland,  the  wind  being  at  east  and  east-south-east ; 
but  that  night  the  wind  veered  southerly,  and  shifted 
oftentimes  that  night.  But  on  the  10th  day,  in  the 
morning,  the  wind  at  west-north-west,  fair  weather, 
they  steered  south-east  and  by  south,  and  continued 
that  course  until  the  12th  day  of  September,  when 
about  11  o'clock  before  noon  they  descried  a  land, 
which  was  from  them  about  five  leagues,  and  the 


136  VOYAGES  IN  SEAECH  OF  i 

sonthemmost  part  of  it  was  south-east*-by-east  from 
them,  aud  the  northernmost  next  north-north-east, 
or  north-east.  The  master  accounted  that  Fries- 
land,  the  south-east  point  of  it,  was  from  him  at 
that  instant,  when  he  first  descried  this  new  island, 
north-west-by-north  fifty  leagues.  They  account 
this  island  to  be  twenty-five  leagues  long,  and  the 
longest  way  of  it  south-east  and  north-west.  The 
southern  part  of  it  is  in  the  latitude  of  fifty-seven  de- 
grees and  one  second  part,  or  thereabout.  They  con- 
tinued in  sight  of  it  from  the  twelfth  day  at  eleven  of 
the  clock  till  the  thirteenth  day  three  of  the  clock  in 
the  afternoon,  when  they  left  it ;  and  the  last  part  they 
saw  of  it  bare  from  them  north-west-by-north.  There 
appeared  two  harbours  upon  that  coast,  the  greatest  of 
them  seven  leagues  to  the  northwards  of  the  southern- 
most point,  the  other  but  four  leagues.  There  was 
very  much  ice  near  the  same  land,  and  also  twenty  or 
thirty  leagues  from  it,  for  they  were  not  clear  of  ice 
till  the  15th  day  of  September,  afternoon.  They  plied 
their  voyage  homeward,  and  fell  with  the  west  part  of 
Ireland,  about  Galway,  and  had  first  sight  of  it  on  the 
25th  day  of  September. 


THE  ]KfO£TH-WEST  PASSAGE.  187 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  MASTER  JOHN 

DAVIS, 

Undertaken  in  June^  1585,  f(yr  the  discovery  oj  the 
North-West  Passage,  written  by  John  James 
Marchant,  servant  to  the  Worshipful  Master 
William  Sanderson, 

Certain  honourable  personages  and  worthy  gentle- 
men of  the  Court  and  country,  with  divers  worshipful 
merchants  of  London  and  of  the  West  O^r^trie,  moved 
with  desire  to  advance  God's  glory,  and  to  seek  the 
good  of  their  native  country,  consulting  together  of 
the  likelihood  of  the  discovery  of  the  North- West 
Passage,  which  heretofore  had  been  attempted,  but  un- 
happily given  over  by  accidents  unlooked  for,  which 
turned  the  enterprisers  from  their  principal  purpose, 
resolved,  after  good  deliberation,  to  put  down  their 
adventures,  to  provide  for  necessary  shipping,  and  a 
fit  man  to  be  chief  conductor  of  this  so  hard  an 
enterprise.  The  setting  forth  of  this  action  was  com- 
mitted by  the  adventurers  especially  to  the  care  of 
Master  William  Sanderson,  merchant  of  London,  who 
was  so  forward  therein,  that  besides  his  travel,  which 
was  not  small,  he  became  the  greatest  adventurer  with 
his  purse,  and  commended  unto  the  rest  of  the  company 
one  Master  John  Davis,  a  man  very  well  grounded  iu 


138  ,  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

the  principles  of  the  art  of  navigation,  for  captain  and 
chief  pilot  of  this  exploit. 

Thus,  therefore,  all  things  being  put  in  a  readiness, 
we  departed  from  Dartmouth  the  7th  of  June  towards 
the  discovery  of  the  aforesaid  I^orth-West  Passage 
with  two  barques,  the  one  being  of  fifty  tons,  named 
the  Sunshine,  of  London,  and  the  other  being  thirty- 
five  tons,  named  the  Moonshine,  of  Dartmouth.  In 
the  Sunshine  we  had  twenty-three  persons,  whose 
names  are  these  following :  Master  John  Davis,  cap- 
tain ;  William  Eston,  master;  Richard  Pope,  master's 
mate  ;  John  Jane,  merchant ;  Henry  Davie,  gunner ; 
"William  Crosse,  boatswain ;  John  Bagge,  Walter 
Arthur,  Luke  Adams,  Robert  Ooxworthie,  John  Ellis, 
John  Kelly,  Edward  Helman,  William  Dicke,  Andrew 
Maddocke,  Thomas  Hill,  Robert  Wats,  carpenter, 
William  Russell,  Christopher  Gi-orney,  boy  ;  James 
Cole,  Francis  Ridley,  John  Russel,  Robert  Cornish, 
musicians. 

The  Moonshine  had  nineteen  persons,  William 
Bruton,  captain ;  John  Ellis,  master ;  the  rest  mari- 
ners. 

The  7th  of  June  the  captain  and  the  master  drew 
out  a  proportion  for  the  continuance  of  our  victuals. 

The  8th  day,  the  wind  being  at  south-west  and  west- 
south-west,  we  put  in  for  Falmouth,  where  we  remained 
until  the  13th. 

The  13th  the  wind  blew  at  north,  and  being  fair 
weather  we  departed. 


THE   NORTH-WEST    PASSAGE.  139 

The  14th,  with  contrary  wind,  we  were  forced  to  put 
into  Scilly. 

The  15th  we  departed  thence,  having  the  wind 
north  and  by  east,  moderate  and  fair  weather. 

The  16th  we  were  driven  back  again,  and  were  con- 
strained to  arrive  at  New  Grimsby,  at  Scilly ;  here 
the  wind  remained  contrary  twelve  days,  and  in  that 
space  the  captain,  the  master,  and  I  went  about  all  the 
islands,  and  the  captain  did  plan  out  and  describe  the 
situation  of  all  the  islands,  rocks,  and  harbours  to  the 
exact  use  of  navigation,  with  lines  and  scale  thereunto 
convenient. 

The  28th,  in  God's  name,  we  departed,  the  wind 
being  easterly,  but  calm. 

The  29th  very  foggy. 

The  30th  foggy. 

The  1st  of  July  we  saw  great  store  of  porpoises,  the 
master  called  for  a  harping-iron,  and  shot  twice  or 
thrice  ;  sometimes  he  missed,  and  at  last  shot  one  and 
struck  him  in  the  side,  and  wound  him  into  the  ship ; 
when  we  had  him  aboard,  the  master  said  it  was  a 
darley  head. 

The  2nd  we  had  some  of  the  fish  boiled,  and  it  did 
eat  as  sweet  as  any  mutton. 

The  3rd  we  had  more  in  sight,  and  the  master  went 
to  shoot  at  them,  but  they  were  so  great,  that  they 
burst  our  irons,  and  we  lost  both  fish,  irons,  pastime, 
and  all;  yet,  nevertheless,  the  master  shot  at  them 
with  a  pike,  and  had  well-nigh  gotten  one,  but  he  waa 


140  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

SO  strong,  that  he  burst  off  the  bars  of  the  pike  and 
went  away.  Then  he  took  the  boathook,  and  hit  one 
with  that ;  but  all  would  not  prevail,  so  at  length  we 
let  them  alone. 

The  6th  we  saw  a  very  g^eat  whale,  and  every  day 
after  we  saw  whales  continually. 

The  16th,  17th,  and  18th  we  saw  great  store  of 
whales. 

The  19th  of  July  we  fell  into  a  great  whirling  and 
brustling  of  a  tide,  setting  to  the  northward';  and  sail- 
ing about  half  a  league  we  came  into  a  very  cabn  sea, 
which  bent  to  the  south-south-west.  Here  we  heard  a 
mighty  great  roaring  of  the  sea,  as  if  it  had  been  the 
breach  of  some  shore,  the  air  being  so  foggy  and  full 
of  thick  mist,  that  we  could  not  see  the  one  ship  from 
the  other,  being  a  very  small  distance  asunder  ;  so  the 
captain  and  the  master,  being  in  distrust  how  the  tide 
might  set  them,  caused  the  Moonshine  to  hoist  Out  her 
boat  and  to  sound,  but  they  could  not  find  ground  in 
three  hundred  fathoms  and  better.  Then  the  captain, 
master,  and  I  went  towards  the  breach  to  see  what  it 
should  be,  giving  charge  to  our  gunners  tliat  at  every 
blast  they  should  shoot  off  a  musket  shot,  to  the  intent 
we  might  keep  ourselves  from  losing  them  ;  then  com- 
ing near  to  the  breach,  we  met  many  islands  of  ice  float- 
ing, which  had  quickly  compassed  us  about.  Then  we 
went  upon  some  of  them,  and  did  perceive  that  all  the 
roaring  which  we  heard  was  caused  only  by  the  rolling 
of  this  ice  together.     Our  company  seeing  us  not  to 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  141 

return  according  to  our  appointment,  left  off  shooting 
muskets  and  began  to  shoot  falconets,  for  they  feared 
some  mishap  had  befallen  us ;  but  before  night  we  came 
aboard  again,  with  our  boat  laden  with  ice,  which  made 
very  good  fresh  water.  Then  we  bent  our  course 
toward  the  north,  hoping  by  that  means  to  double  the 
land. 

The  20th,  as  we  sailed  along  the  coast,  the  fog  brake 
up,  and  we  discovered  the  land,  which  was  the  most 
deformed,  rocky,  and  mountainous  land  that  ever  we 
saw,  the  iBrst  sight  whereof  did  show  as  if  it  had  been 
in  form  of  a  sugar  loaf,  standing  to  our  sight  above 
the  clouds,  for  that  it  did  show  over  the  fog  like  a 
white  liste  in  the  sky,  the  tops  altogether  covered  with 
snow,  and  the  shore  beset  with  ice  a  league  off  into 
the  sea,  making  such  irksome  noise  as  that  it  seemed 
to  be  the  true  pattern  of  desolation,  and  after  the  same 
our  captain  named  it  the  land  of  desolation. 

The  21st  the  wind  came  northerly  and  overblew,  so 
that  we  were  constrained  to  bend  our  course  south 
again,  for  we  perceived  that  we  were  run  into  a  very 
deep  bay,  where  we  were  almost  compassed  with  ice, 
for  we  saw  very  much  towards  the  north-north-east, 
west,  and  south-west ;  and  this  day  and  this  night  we 
cleared  ourselves  of  the  ice,  running  south-south-west 
along  the  shore.  , 

Upon  Thursday,  being  the  22nd  of  this  month,  about 
three  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  we  hoisted  out  our 
boat,  and  the  captain,  with  six  sailors,  went  towards 


142  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

the  shore,  thinking  to  find  a  landing-place,  for  the 
night  before  we  did  perceive  the  coast  to  be  void  of 
ice  to  our  judgment ;  and  the  same  night  we  were  all 
persuaded  that  we  had  seen  a  canoe  rowing  along  the 
shore,  but  afterwards  we  fell  in  some  doubt  of  it,  but 
we  had  no  great  reason  so  to  do.  The  captain,  rowing 
towards  the  shore,  willed  the  master  to  bear  in  with 
the  land  after  him  ;  and  before  he  came  near  the  shore, 
by  the  space  of  a  league,  or  about  two  miles,  he  found 
so  much  ice  that  he  could  not  get  to  land  by  any 
means.  Here  our  mariners  put  to  their  lines  to  see*  if 
they  could  get  any  fish,  because  there  were  so  many 
seals  upon  the  coast,  and  the  birds  did  beat  upon  the 
water,  but  all  was  in  vain :  the  water  about  this  coast 
was  very  black  and  thick,  like  to  a  filthy  standing 
pool ;  we  sounded,  and  had  ground  in  120  fathoms. 
While  the  captain  was  rowing  to  the  shore  our  men 
saw  woods  upon  the  rocks,  like  to  the  rocks  of  New- 
foundland, but  I  could  not  discern  them ;  yet  it  might 
be  so  very  well,  for  we  had  wood  floating  upon  the 
coast  every  day,  and  the  Moonshine  took  up  a  tree  at 
sea  not  far  from  the  coast,  being  sixty  foot  of  length 
and  fourteen  handfuls  about,  having  the  root  upon  it. 
After,  the  captain  came  aboard,  the  weather  being 
very  calm  and  fair,  we  bent  our  course  toward  the  south 
with  intent  to  double  the  land. 

The  23rd  we  coasted  the  land  which  did  lie  east- 
north-east  and  west-south-west. 

The  24th,  the  wind  being  very  fair  at  east,,  we 


■^-* 


THE   NORTH-WEST   i>ASSAGE.  1-13 

coasted  the  land,  which  did  lie  east  and  west,  not  being 
able  to  come  near  the  shore  by  reason  of  the  great 
quantity  of  ice.  At  this  place,  because  the  weather 
was  somewhat  cold  by  reason  of  the  ice,  and  the  better 
to  encourage  our  men,  their  allowance  was  increased. 
The  captain  and  the  master  took  order  that  every 
mess,  being  five  persons,  should  have  half  a  pound  of 
bread  and  a  can  of  beer  every  morning  to  breakfast. 
The  weather  was  not  very  cold,  but  the  air  was 
moderate,  like  to  our  April  weather  in  England. 
When  the  wind  came  from  the  land  or  the  ice  it  was 
somewhat  cold,  but  when  it  came  off  the  sea  it  was 
very  hot. 

The  25th  of  this  month  we  departed  from  sight  of 
this  land  at  six  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  directing 
our  course  to  the  north-westward,  hoping  in  God's 
mercy  to  find  our  desired  passage,  and  so  continued 
above  four  days. 

The  29th  of  July  we  discovered  land  in  64  degrees 
15  minutes  of  latitude,  bearing  north-east  from  us. 
The  wind  being  contrary  to  go  to  the  north-westward, 
we  bear  in  with  this  land  to  take  some  view  of  it, 
being  utterly  void  of  the  pester  of  ice,  and  very 
temperate.  Coming  near  the  coast  we  found  many 
fair  sounds  and  good  roads  for  shipping,  and  many 
great  inlets  into  the  land,  whereby  we  judged  this 
land  to  be  a  great  number  of  islands  standing  together. 
Here,  having  moored  our  barque  in  good  order,  wo 
went  on  shore  upon  a  small  island  to  seek  for  water 


144  VOYAGES  IN   SEARCH  OP 

and  wood.  Upon  this  island  we  did  perceive  that 
there  had  been  people,  for  wo  found  a  small  shoe  and 
pieces  of  leather  sewed  with  sinews  and  a  piece  of  fur, 
and  wool  like  to  beaver.  Then  we  wont  upon  another 
island  on  the  other  side  of  our  ships,  and  the  captain, 
the  master,  and  I,  being  got  up  to  the  top  of  a  high 
rock,  the  people  of  the  country  having  espied  us  made 
a  lamentable  noise,  as  we'  thought,  with  great  outcries 
and  screechings ;  we,  hearing  them,  thought  it  had 
been  the  howling  of  wolves.  At  last  I  halloed  again, 
and  they  likewise  cried ;  then  we,  perceiving  where 
they  stood — some  on  the  shore,  and  one  rowing  in  a 
canoe  about  a  small  island  fast  by  them — we  made  a 
great  noise,  partly  to  allure  them  to  us  and  partly  to 
warn  our  company  of  them.  Whereupon  Master 
Bruton  and  the'  master  of  his  ship,  with  others  of 
their  company,  made  great  haste  towards  us,  and 
brought  our  musicians  with  them  from  our  ship, 
purposing  either  by  force  to  rescue  us,  if  needs  should 
so  require,  or  with  courtesy  to  allure  the  people. 
When  they  came  unto  us  we  caused  our  musicians  to 
play,  ourselves  dancing  and  making  many  signs  of 
friendship.  At  length  there  came  ten  canoes  from 
the  other  islands,  and  two  of  them  came  so  near  the 
shore  where  we  were  that  they  talked  with  us,  the 
other  being  in  their  boats  a  pretty  way  off.  Their 
pronunciation  was  very  hollow  through  the  throat,  and 
their  speech  such  as  we  could  not  understand,  only  we 
allured  them  by  friendly  embracings  and  signs  of 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  145 

courtesy.  At  length  one  of  them,  pointing  up  to  the 
sun  with  his  hand,  would  presently  strike  his  breast  so 
hard  that  we  might  liear  the  blow.  This  he  did  many 
limes  bel'ore  he  would  any  way  trust  us.  Then  John 
Ellis,  the  master  of  the  3Ioonshine,  was  appointed  to 
use  his  best  policy  to  gain  their  friendship,  who  strook 
his  breast  and  pointed  to  the  sun  after  their  order, 
which  when  he  had  divers  times  done  they  began  to  trus^ 
him,  and  one  of  them  came  on  shore,  to  whom  we  threw 
our  caps,  stockings,  and  gloves,  and  such  other  things 
as  then  we  had  about  us,  playing  with  our  music,  and 
making  signs  of  joy,  and  dancing.  So  the  night 
coming  we  bade  them  farewell,  and  went  aboard  our 
barques. 

The  next  morning,  being  the  30th  of  July,  there 
came  thirty-seven  canoes  rowing  by  our  ships  calling 
to  us  to  come  on  shore  ;  we  not  making  any  great  haste 
unto  them,  one  of  them  went  up  to  the  top  of  the 
rock,  and  leaped  and  danced  as  they  had  done  the  day 
before,  showing  us  a  seal  skin,  and  another  thing  made 
like  a  timbrel,  which  he  did  beat  upon  with  a  stick, 
making  a  noise  like  a  small  drum.  Whereupon  we 
manned  our  boats  and  came  to  them,  they  all  staying 
in  their  canoes.  We  came  to  the  water's  side,  where 
they  were,  and  after  we  had  sworn  by  the  sun  after 
their  fashion  they  did  trust  us.  So  I  shook  hands 
with  one  of  them,  and  he  kissed  my  hand,  and  we  were 
very  familiar  with  them.  We  were  in  so  great  credit 
with  them  upon  this  single  acquaintance  that  we  could 


146  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF  ' 

have  anything  they  liad.  We  bought  five  canoes  of 
them;  we  bought  tlioir  clothes  from  their  backs, 
which  were  all  made  of  seal  skins  and  birds'  skins ; 
their  buskins,  their  hose,  their  gloves,  all  being 
commonly  sewed  and  well  dressed,  so  that  we  were 
fully  persuaded  that  they  have  divers  artificers  among 
them.  We  had  a  pair  of  buskins  of  them  full  of  fine 
wool  like  beaver.  Their  apparel  for  heat  was  made  of 
birds'  skins  with  their  feathers  on  them.  W6  saw 
among  them  leather  dressed  like  glover's  leather,  and 
thick  thongs  like  white  leather  of  good  length.  We 
had  of  their  darts  and  oars,  and  found  in  them  that 
they  would  by  no  means  displease  us,  but  would  give 
us  whatsoever  we  asked  of  them,  and  would  be 
satisfic^d  with  whatsoever  we  gave  them.  They 
took  great  care  one  of  another,  for  when  we  had 
bought  their  boats  then  two  other  would  come,  and 
carry  him  away  between  them  that  had  sold  us  his. 
They  are  a  very  tractable  people,  void  of  craft  or 
double  dealing,  and  easy  to  be  brought  to  any  civility 
or  good  order,  but  we  judged  them  to  be  idolaters,  and 
to  worship  the  sun. 

During  the  time  of  our  abode  among  these  islands 
we  found  reasonable  quantity  of  wood,  both  fir,  spruce, 
and  juniper;  which,  whether  it  came  floatinj  any 
great  distance  to  these  places  where  we  found  it,  or 
whether  it  grew  in  some  great  islands  near  the  same 
place  by  us  not  yet  discovered,  we  know  not.  But  we 
judge  that  it  groweth  there  farther  into  the  land  than 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  1^7 

we  were,  because  the  people  had  great  store  of  darts 
and  oars  which  they  made  none  account  of,  but  gave 
them  to  us  for  small  trifles  as  points  and  pieces  of 
paper.  We  saw  about  this  coast  marvellous  great 
abundance  of  seals  sculling  together  like  sculls  •  of 
small  fish.  We  found  no  fresh  water  among  these 
islands,  but  only  snow-water,  whereof  we  found  great 
pools.  The  cliffs  were  all  of  such  ore  as  Master 
Frobisher  brought  from  Meta  Incognita.  We  had 
divers  shewes  of  study  or  Moscovie  glass,  shining  not 
altogether  unlike  to  crystal.  We  found  an  herb  grow- 
ing upon  the  rocks  whose  fruit  was  sweet,  full  of 
red  juice,  and  the  ripe  ones  were  like  currants.  We 
found  also  birch  and  willow  growing  like  shrubs  low 
to  the  ground.  These  people  have  great  store  of  furs 
as  we  judged.  They  made  shows  unto  us  the  30th  of 
this  present,  which  was  the  second  time  of  our  being 
with  them,  after  they  perceived  we  would  have  skins 
and  furs,  that  they  would  go  into  the  country  and 
come  again  the  next  day  with  such  things  as  they 
had ;  but  this  night  the  wind  coming  fair  the  captain 
and  the  master  would  by  no  means  detract  the  purpose 
of  our  discovery.  And  so  the  last  of  this  month,  about 
four  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  in  God's  name  we 
set  sail,  and  were  all  that  day  becalmed  upon  the  coast. 

The  1st  of  August  we  had  a  fair  wind,  and  so  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  north-west  for  our  discovery. 

The  6th  of  August  we  discovered  land  in  66  degrees 
40  minutes  of  latitude  altogether  void  from  the  pester 


148  VOYAGES  IN  SEAECH  OP 

of  ice  ;  we  anchored  in  a  very  fair  road,  nnder  a  very 
brave  mount,  the  cliffs  whereof  were  as  orient  as  gold. 
This  mount  was  named  Mount  Raleigh;  the  road 
where  our  ships  lay  at  anchor  was  called  Totnes  Road ; 
the  sound  which  did  compass  the  mount  was  named 
Exeter  Sound;  the  foreland  towards  the  north  was 
called  Dier's  Cape ;  the  foreland  towards  the  -south 
was  named  Cape  Walsingham.  So  soon  as  we  were 
come  to  an  anchor  in  Totnes  Road  under  Mount 
Raleigh  we  espied  four  white  bears  at  the  foot  of  the 
mount.  We,  supposing  them  to  be  gcats  or  wolves, 
manned  our  boats  and  went  towards  them,  but  when  we 
came  near  the  shore  we  found  them  to  be  white  bears  of  a 
monstrous  bigness  ;  we,  being  desirous  of  fresh  victual 
and  the  sport,  began  to  assault  them,  and  I  being  on 
land,  one  of  them  came  down  the  hill  right  against  me. 
My  piece  was  charged  with  hail-shot  and  a  bullet :  I 
discharged  my  piece  and  shot  him  in  the  neck;  he 
roared  a  little,  and  took  the  water  straight,  making 
small  account  of  his  hurt.  Then  we  followed  him  with 
our  boat,  and  killed  him  with  boars'  spears,  and  two 
more  that  nigiit.  "We  found  nothing  in  their  maws, 
but  we  judged  by  their  dung  that  they  fed  upon  grass, 
because  it  appeared  in  all  respects  like  the  dung  of 
a  horse,  wherein  we  might  very  plainly  see  the  very 
straws. 

The  7th  we  went  on  shore  to  another  bear,  which 
lay  all  night  upon  the  top  of  an  island  imder  Mount 
Raleigh,  and  when  we  came  up  to  him  he  lay  fast 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  149 

asleep.  I  levelled  at  his  head,  and  the  stone  of  my 
piece  gave  no  fire ;  with  that  he  looked  up  and  laid 
down  his  heiid  again  ;  then  I  shot,  being  charged  with 
two  bullets,  and  struck  him  in  the  head  he,  being  but 
amazed,  fell  backwards,  whereupon  we  ran  all  upon 
him  with  boar  spears  and  tlirust  him  in  the  body,  yet 
for  all  that  he  gripped  away  our  boar  spears  and  went 
towards  the  water,  and  as  he  was  going  down  he  came 
back  again.  Then  our  master  shot  his  boar  spear 
and  struck  him  in  the  head,  and  made  him  to  take  the 
water,  and  swim  into  a  cove  fast  by,  where  we  killed 
him  and  brought  him  aboard.  The  breadth  of  his  fore 
foot  from  one  side  to  the  other  was  fourteen  inches 
over.  They  were  very  fat,  so  as  we  were  constrained 
to  cast  the  fat  away.  We  saw  a  raven  upon  Mount 
Raleigh.  We  found  withies,  also,  growing  low  like 
shrubs,  and  flowers  like  primroses  in  the  said  place. 
The  coast  is  very  mountainous,  altogether  without 
wood,  grass,  or  earth,  and  is  only  huge  mountains  of 
stone,  but  the  bravest  stone  that  ever  we  saw.  The 
air  was  very  moderate  in  this  country. 

The  8th  we  departed  from  Mount  Raleigh,  coasting 
along  the  shore  which  lieth  south-south-west  and  east- 
north-east. 

The  9th  our  men  fell  in  dislike  of  their  allowance 
because  it  was  so  small  as  they  thought.  Whereupon 
we  made  a  new  proportion,  every  mess,  being  five  to  a 
mess,  should  have  four  pound  of  bread  a  day,  twelve 
wine  quarts  of  beer,  six  new  land  fishes,  and  the  flesh 


150  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

days  a  gin  of  pease  more ;  so  we  restrained  them  from 
their  butter  and  cheese. 

The  11th  we  came  to  the  most  southerly  cape  of  this 
land,  which  we  named  the  Cape  of  God's  Mercy,  as 
being  the  place  of  our  first  entrance  for  the  discovery. 
The  weather  being  very  foggy  we  coast  o  1  this  north 
land ;  at  length  when  it  brake  up  we  perceived  that 
we  were  shot  into  a  very  fair  entrance  or  passage, 
being  in  some  places  twenty  leagues  broad  and  in 
some  thirty,  altogether  void  of  any  pester  of  ice, 
the  weather  very  tolerable,  and  the  water  of  the  very 
colour,  nature,  and  quality  of  the  main  ocean,  which 
gave  us  the  greater  hope  of  our  passage.  Having 
sailed  north-west  sixty  leagues  in  this  entrance,  we 
discovered  certain  islands  standing  in  the  midst  there- 
of, having  open  passages  on  both  sides.  Whereupon 
our  ships  divided  themselves,  the  one  sailing  on  the 
north  side,  the  other  on  the  south  side  of  the  said  isles, 
where  we  stayed  five  days,  having  the  wind  at  south- 
east, very  foggy,  and  foul  weather. 

The  14th  we  went  on  shore  and  found  signs  of 
people,  for  we  found  stones  laid  up  together  like  a  wall, 
and  saw  the  skull  of  a  man  or  a  woman. 

The  15th  we  heard  dogs  howl  on  the  shore,  whicli 
we  thought  had  been  wolves,  and  therefore  we  went  on 
shore  to  kill  them.  When  we  came  on  land  the  dogs 
came  presently  to  our  boat  very  gently,  yet  we  thought 
they  came  to  prey  upon  us,  and  therefore  we  shot  at 
them  and  killed  two,  and  about  the  neck  of  one  of 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE  151 

them  we  found  a  leathern  collar,  whereupon  we 
thought  them  to  be  tame  dogs.  There  were  twenty- 
dogs  like  mastiffs,  with  pricked  ears  and  long  bushed 
tails ;  we  found  a  bone  in  the  pizels  of  their  dogs. 
Then  we  went  farther  and  found  two  sleds  made  like 
ours  in  England.  The  one  was  made  of  fir,  spruce, 
and  oaken  boards,  sawn  like  inch  boards ;  the  other 
was  made  all  of  whalebone,  and  there  hung  on  the  tops 
of  the  sleds  three  heads  of  beasts  which  they  had  killed. 
We  saw  here  larks,  ravens,  and  partridges. 

The  17th  we  went  on  shore,  and  in  a  little  thing 
made  like  an  oven  with  stones  I  found  many  small 
trifles,  as  a  small  canoe  made  of  wood,  a  piece  of  wood 
made  like  an  image,  a  bird  made  of  bone,  beads  having 
small  holes  in  one  end  of  them  to  hang  about  their 
necks,  and  other  small  things.  The  coast  was  very 
barbarous,  without  wood  or  grass.  The  rocks  were 
very  fair,  like  marble,  full  of  veins  of  divers  colours. 
We  found  a  seal  which,  was  killed  not  long  before, 
being  flayed  and  hid  under  stones.  . 

Our  captain  and  master  searched  still  for  proba- 
bilities of  the  passage,  and  first  found  that  this  place 
was  all  islands  with  great  sounds  passing  between  ihem. 

Secondly,  the  water  remained  of  one  colour  with  the 
main  ocean  without  altering. 

Thirdly,  we  saw  to  the  west  of  those  isles  three  or 
four  whales  in  a  scull,  which  they  judged  to  come 
from  a  westerly  sea,  because  to  the  eastward  we  saw 
not  any  whale.      ,       •,  •     .  v.    i       r,-- 


M 


152  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH   OP 

Also,  as  we  were  rowing  into  a  very  great  sonnd 
lying  south-west  from  whence  these  whales  came,  upon 
the  sudden  there  came  a  violent  countercheck  of  a  tide 
from  the  south-west  against  the  flood  which  we  came 
with,  not  knowing  from  whence  it  was  maintained. 

Fifthly,  in  sailing  20  leagues  within  the  mouth  of 
this  entrance  we  had  sounding  in  90  fathoms,  fair,  grey, 
oozy  sand,  and  the  farther  we  run  into  the  westwards 
the  deeper  was  the  water,  so  that  hard  aboard  the  shore 
among  these  isles  we  could  not  have  ground  in  330 
fathoms. 

Lastly,  it  did  ebb  and  flow  six  or  seven  fathom  up 
and  down,  the  flood  coming  from  divers  parts,  so  as  we 
could  not  perceive  the  chief  maintenance  thereof. 

The  18th  and  19th  our  captain  and  master  deter- 
mined what  was  best  to  do,  both  for  the  safe  guar(i 
of  their  credits  and  satisfy  of  the  adventurers,  and 
resolved  if  the  weather  brake  up  to  make  further  search. 

The  20th,  the  wind  came  directly  against  us,  so  they 
altered  their  purpose,  and  reasoned  both  for  pro- 
ceeding and  returning. 

The  21st,  the  wind  being  north-west,  we  departed 
from  these  islands,  and  as  we  coasted  the  south  shore 
we  saw  many  fair  sounds,  whereby  we  were  persuaded 
that  it  was  no  firm  land  but  islands. 

The  23rd  of  this  month  the  wind  came  south-east, 
very  stormy  and  foul  weather.  So  we  were  constrained 
to  seek  harbour  upon  the  south  coast  of  this  entrance, 
where  we  fell  into  a  very  fair  sound,  and  anchored  in 


THE  NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  153 

25  fathoms  of  green,  oozy  sand,  where  we  went  on 
shore,  where  we  had  manifest  signs  of  people,  where 
they  had  made  their  fire,  and  laid  stones  like  a  wall. 
In  this  place  we  saw  four  very  fair  falcons,  and  Master 
Bruton  took  from  one  of  them  his  prey,  which  we 
judged  by  the  wings  and  logs  to  be  a  snipe,  for  the 
liead  was  eaten  oft*. 

The  2-4th,  in  the  afternoon,  the  wind  coming  some- 
what fair,  we  departed  from  this  road,  i)urposing  by 
God's  grace  to  return  for  England. 

The  26th  we  departed  from  sight  of  the  north  land 
of  this  entrance,  directing  our  course  homewards,  until 
the  10th  of  the  .next  month. 

The  30th  September  we  fell  with  tlie  Land  of  De- 
solation, thinking  to  go  on  shore,  but  we  could  get 
never  a  good  harbour.  Tliat  night  we  put  to  sea  again 
thinking  to  search  it  the  next  day ;  but  this  night  arose 
a  very  great  storm,  and  separated  our  ships  so  that  we 
lost  the  sight  of  the  Moonshine. 

The  13th  about  noon  (having  tried  all  the  night  be- 
fore with  a  goose  wing)  we  set  sail,  and  within  two 
hours  after  we  had  sight  of  the  Moonshine  again. 
This  day  we  departed  from  this  land. 

The  27th  of  this  month  we  fell  with  sight  of  Eng- 
land. This  night  we  had  a  marvellous  storm,  and  lost 
the  Moonshine. 

The  30th  September  we  came  into  Dartmouth,  whore 
we  found  the  Moonshine^  being  come  in  not  two  honn 
before. 


( •  ;r» 


154  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH  OP        • 

*  ... 

)  ■  ■  ■  . 

THE   SECOND  VOYAGE  ATTEMPTED  BY 
MASTER  JOHN  DAVIS, 

With  others,  for  the  discovery  of  the   North-West 
Passage,  in  Anno  16SQ. 

The  7tli  day  of  May  I  departed  from  the  port  of 
Dartmouth  for  the  discovery  of  the  NQrth-West 
Passage  with  a  ship  of  a  120  tons,  named  the  Mer^ 
maid ;  a  barque  of  60  tons,  named  the  Sunshine ;  a. 
barque  of  35  tons  named  the  Moonlight ;  and  a  pinnace 
of  10  tons  named  the  North  Star. 

And  the  15th  June  I  discovered  land,  in  the  latitude 
of  60  degrees,  and  in  longitude  from  the  meridian  of 
London  westward  47  degrees,  mightily  pestered  with 
ice  and  snow,  so  that  there  was  no  hope  of  landing ; 
the  ice  lay  in  some  places  10  leagues,  in  some  20,  and  in. 
some  50  leagues  off  the  shore,  so  that  we  were  con- 
strained to  bear  into  57  degrees  to  double  the  same, 
and  to  recover  a  free  sea,  which  through  God's  favour- 
able mercy  we  at  length  obtained. 

The  nine-and-twentieth  day  of  June,  after  many^ 
tempestuous  storms,  we  again  discovered  land  in  lon- 
gitude from  the  meridian  of  London  58  degrees  30 
minutes,  and  in  latitude  64  being  east  from  us,  into 
which  course,  since  it  pleased  God  by  contrary  winds; 
to  force  us,  I  thought  it  very  necessary  to  bear  in  with  ; 
it,  and  there  to  set  up  our  pinnace,  provided  in  the  • 


;  THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  155 

Mermaid  to  be  our  scout  for  this  discovery,  and  so 
much  the  rather,  because  the  year  before  I  had  been  in 
the  same  place  and  found  it  very  convenient  for  such 
a  purpose,  well  stored  with  float  wood,  and  possessed  by 
a  people  of  tractable  conversation ;  so  that  the  nine- 
and-twentieth  of  this  month  we  arrived  within  the  isles 
which  lay  before  this  land,  lying  north-north-west  and 
south-south-east  we  know  not  how  far.  This  land  is 
very  high  and  mountainous,  having  before  it  on  the 
west  side  a  mighty  company  of  isles  full  of  fair  sounds 
and  harbours.  This  land  was  very  little  troubled  with 
snow,  and  the  sea  altogether  void  of  ice.  i-- 

The  ships  being  within  the  sounds  we  sent  our  boats 
to  search  for  shallow  water,  where  we  might  anchor, 
which  in  this  place  is  very  hard  to  find ;  and  as  the 
boat  went  sounding  and  searching,  the  people  of  the 
country  having  espied  them,  came  in  their  canoes  to- 
wards them  with  many  shouts  and  cries ;  but  after  they 
had  espied  in  the  boat  some  of  our  company  that  were 
the  year  before  here  with  us,  they  presently  rowed  to 
the  boat  and  took  hold  in  the  oar,  and  hung  about  the 
boat  with  such  comfortable  joy  as  would  require  a  long 
discourse  to  be  uttered ;  they  came  with  the  boats  to 
our  ships,  making  signs  that  they  knew  all  those  that 
the  year  before  had  been  with  them.  After  I  perceived 
their  joy  ahd  small  fear  of  us,  myself  with  the  mer- 
chants and  others  of  the  company  went  ashore,  bearing 
with  me  twenty  knives.  I  had  no  sooner  landed,  but 
they  leapt  out  of  their  canoes  and  came  running  to  me 


156  ^  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF 

and  the  rest,  and  embraced  us  with  manj  signs  of 
hearty  welcome.  At  this  present  there  were  eighteen  of 
them,  and  to  each  of  them  I  gave  a  knife;  they  offered 
skins  to  me  for  reward,  but  I  made  signs  that  it  was 
not  sold,  but  given  them  of  courtesy,  and  so  dismissed 
them  for  that  time,  with  signs  that  they  should  return 
again  after  certain  hours. 

The  next  day,  with  all  possible  speed,  the  pinnace 
was  landed  upon  an  isle  there  to  be  finished  to  servo 
our  purpose  for  the  discovery,  which  isle  was  sp  con- 
venient for  that  purpose,  as  that  we  were  very  well 
able  to  defend  ourselves  against  many  enemies.  During 
the  time  that  the  pinnace  was  there  setting  up,  the 
people  came  continually  unto  us,  sometimes  a  hundred 
canoes  at  a  time,  sometimes  forty,  fifty,  more  and  less 
as  occasion  served.  They  brought  with  them  seal  skins, 
stags'  skins,  white  hares,  seal  fish,  salmon  peel,  small 
cod,  dry  caplin,  with  other  fish  and  birds  such  as  the 
country  did  yield. 

Myself,  still  desirous  to  have  a  farther  search  of  this 
place,  sent  one  of  the  ship  boats  to  one  part  of  the 
land,  and  myself  went  to  another  part  to  search 
for  the  habitation  of  this  people,  with  straight  com- 
mandment that  there  should  be  no  injury  offered  to 
any  of  the  people,  neither  any  one  shot. 

The  boats  that  went  from  me  found  the  t^nts  of  the 
people  made  with  seal  skins  set  up  upon  timber,  wherein 
they  found  great  store  of  dried  caplin,  being  a  Uttlo 
fish  no  bigger  than  a  pilchard.    They  found  bags  of 


THE  KOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  157 

train  oil,  many  little  images  out  in  wood,  seal  skins  in 
tan  tubs  with  many  other  such  trifles,  whereof  they 
diminished  nothing. 

They  also  found  ten  miles  within  the  snowy  moun- 
tains a  plain  champion  country,  witli  earth  and  grass, 
such  as  our  moory  and  waste  grounds  of  England  are. 
They  went  up  into  a  river  (which  in  the  narrowest 
place  is  two  leagues  broad)  about  ten  leagues,  finding 
it  still  to  continue  they  knew  not  how  far ;  but  I  with 
my  company  took  another  river,  which  although  at  the 
first  it  offered  a  large  inlet,  yet  it  proved  but  a  deep 
bay,  the  end  whereof  in  four  hours  I  attained,  and 
there  leaving  the  boat  well  manned,  went  with  the  rest 
of  my  company  three  or  four  miles  into  the  country, 
but  found  nothing,  nor  saw  anything,  save  only  gripes, 
ravf  QS,  and  small  birds,  as  lark  and  linnet. 

The  3rd  of  July  I  manned  my  boat,  and  went  with 
fifty  canoes  attending  upon  me  up  into  another  sound, 
where  the  people  by  signs  willed  me  to  go,  hoping  to 
find  their  habitation ;  at  length  tliey  made  signs  that 
I  should  go  into  a  warm  place  to  sleep,  at  which  place 
I  went  on  shore,  and  ascended  the  top  of  hfgh  hiU 
to  see  into  the  country,  but  perceiving  my  labour  vain, 
I  returned  again  to  my  boat,  the  people  still  following 
me  and  my  company  very  diligent  to  attend  us, 
and  to  help  us  up  the  rocks,  and  likewise  down ;  at 
length  I  was  desirous  to  have  our  men  leap  with  theni, 
which  was  done,  but  our  men  did  overleap  them ;  from 
leaping    they    went    to    wrestling;   we   found  them 


158  *'       VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

■'^*    strong  and  nimble,  and  to  have  skill  in  wrestling,  for 

'^    they  cast  some  of  our  men  that  were  good  wrestlers. 

'^  The  4th  of  July  we  launched  our  pinnace,  and  had  forty 
of  the  people  to  help  us,  which  they  did  very  willingly. 
At  this  time  our  men  again  wrestled  with  them,  and 
found  them  as  before,  strong  and  skilful.  This  4th 
of  July,  the  master  of  the  Mermaid  went  to  certain 

"•  islands  to  store  himself  with  wood,  where  he  found  a 
grave  with  divers  buried  in  it,  only  covered  with  seal 

■ "  skins,  having  a  cross  laid  over  them.  The  people  are 
of  good  siature,  well  in  body  proportioned,  with  small, 

'  slender  hands  and  feet,  with  broad  visages,  and  small 
eyes,  wide  mouths,  the  most  part  unbearded,  great 
lips,  and  close  toothed.  Their  custom  is,  as  often  as 
they  go  from  us,  still  at  their  return,  to  make  a  new 
truce,  in  this  sort :  holding  his  hand  up  to  the  sun, 
with  a  loud  voice  crieth  "  Ylyaoute,"  and  striketh  his 
breast,  with  like  signs  being  promised  safety,  he 
giveth  credit.  These  people  are  much  given  to  bleed, 
and  therefore  stop  their  noses  with  deer  hair  or  the 
hair  of  an  elan.  They  are  idolaters,  and  have  images 
great  store,  which  they  wear  about  them,  and  in  their 
boats,  which  we  suppose  they  worship.  They  are 
witches,  and  have  many  kinds  of  enchantments, 
which  they  often  used,  but  to  small  purpose,  thanks  be 
•    to  God.  * 

Being  among  them  at  shore,  the  4th  of  July,  one  of 
them,  making  a  long  oration,  began  to  kindle  a  fire, 
in  this  manner :  he  took  a  piece  of  a  board,  wherein  was 


THE   N0BTH-WE8T  PASSAGE.  15'J 

li  hole  half  through ;  into  that  hole  he  puts  the  end  of 
a  round  stick,  like  unto  a  bed  staff,  wetting  the  end 
thereof  in  train,  and  in  fashion  of  a  turner,  with  a 
piece  of  leather,  by  his  violent  motion  doth  very 
speedily  produce  fire ;  which  done,  with  turfs  he  made  a 
€re,  into  which,  with  many  words  and  strange  ges- 
tures, he  put  divers  things  which  we  suppose  to  be  a 
sacrifice.  Myself  and  divers  of  my  company  standing 
by,  they  were  desirous  to  have  me  go  into  the  smoke ;  I 
willed  them  likewise  to  stand  in  the  smoke,  in  which 
they  by  no  means  would  do.  I  then  took  one  of  them, 
and  thrust  him  into  the  smoke,  and  willed  one  of  my 
company  to  tread  out  the  fire,  and  to  spurn  it  into  the 
sea,  which  was  done  to  show  them  that  we  did  contemn 
their  sorcery.  These  people  are  very  simple  in  all 
their  conversation,  but  marvellous  thievish,  especially 
for  iron,  which  they  have  in  great  account.  They 
began  through  our  lenity  to  show  their  vile  nature; 
they  began  to  cut  our  cables;  they  cut  away  the 
Moonlights  boat  from  her  stern ;  they  cut  our  cloth 
where  it  lay  to  air,  though  we  did  carefully  look  unto 
it,  they  stole  our  oars,  a  caUiver,  a  boat's  spear,  a  sword, 
with  divers  other  things,  whereat  the  company  and 
masters  being  grieved,  for  our  better  security  desired 
me  to  dissolve  this  new  friendship,  and  to  leave  the 
company  of  these  thievish  miscreants ;  whereupon 
there  was  a  calliver  shot  among  them,  and  imme- 
diately upon  the  same  a  falcon,  which  strange  noise  did 
sore  amaze  them,  so  that  with  speed  they  departed; 


160  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH  OF         '  • 

notwithstanding,  their  simplicity  is  snoh,  that  within 
ten  hours  after  thej  came  again  to  ns  to  entreat 
peace;  which,  being  promised,  we  again  fell  into  a 
great  league.  They  brought  us  seal  skins  and  salmon 
peel,  but,  seeing  iron,  they  could  in  nowise  forbear 
stealing ;  which,  when  I  perceived  it,  did  but  minister 
unto  me  an  occasion  of  laughter  to  see  their  simplicity, 
and  willed  that  in  no  case  they  should  be  any  more 
hardly  used,  but  that  our  own  company  should  be  the 
more  vigilant  to  keep  their  things,  supposing  it  to  be 
very  hard  in  so  short  time  to  make  them  know  their 
evils.  They  eat  all  their  meat  raw,  they  live  most 
upon  fish,  they  drink  salt  water,  and  eat  grass  and 
ice  with  delight ;  they  are  never  out  of  the  water,  but 
live  in  the  nature  of  fishes,  but  only  when  dead  sleep 
taketh  them,  and  then  under  a  warm  rock,  laying  his 
boat  upon  the  land,  he  lieth  down  to  sleep.  Their 
weapons  are  all  darts,  but  some  of  them  have  bow  and 
arrows  and  slings.  They  make  nets  to  take  their 
fish  of  the  fin  of  a  whale  ;  they  do  all  their  things  very 
artfully,  and  it  should  seem  that  these  simple,  thievish 
islanders  have  war  with  those  of  the  main,  for  many  of 
them  are  sore  wounded,  which  wounds  they  received 
upon  the  main  land,  as  by  signs  they  gave  us  to  under- 
stand. We  had  among  them  copper  ore,  black  copper, 
and  red  copper ;  they  pronounce  their  language  very 
hollow,  and  deep  in  the  throat ;  these  words  following 

we  learned  from  them  :— 

'•      .      .  .        "         .       '    '^     ".    \         ,-*■■ 

' .      ■  .  ■       '  ■  /.J 


THE  NOSTH-WEST  PASSAGE. 


161 


Kesinyoh,  eat  some. 

Mysacoah,  wash  it. 

Madlycoyte,  music. 

Lethicksaneg,  a  seal-skin. 

Aginyoh,  go,  fetch. 

Oanyglow,  kiss  me. 

Tliaoute,  I  mean  no  harm. 

Ugnera,  my  son. 

Ponameg,  a  boat. 

Acu,  shot. 

Conah,  leap. 

Aba,  fallen  down. 

Maatuke,  fish. 

Icune,  come  hither. 

Sambah,  below.              [this? 

Awennye,  yonder. 

Maconmeg,    will    you    have 

Nugo,  no. 

Cocah,  go  to  him. 

Tucktodo,  a  fog. 

Paaotyck,  an  oar. 

Lechiksah,  a  skin. 

Asanock,  a  dart. 

Maccoah,  a  dart. 

Sawygnieg,  a  knife. 

Sugnacoon,  a  coat. 

Uderah,  a  nose. 

Gounah,  come  down. 

Aoh,  iron. 

Sasobueg,  a  bracelet. 

Blete,  an  eye. 

Ugnake,  a  tongue. 

Unvicke,  give  it. 

Ataneg,  a  seal. 

Tuckloak,  a  stag  or  elan. 

Macuah,  a  beard. 

Panygmah,  a  needle. 

Pignagogah,  a  thread. 

Aob,  the  sea. 

Quoysah,  give  it  to  me. 

t. 


The  7th  of  July,  being  very  desirous  to  search  the 
habitation  of  this  country,  I  tv  ent  myself  with  our  new 
pinnace  into  the  body  of  the  land,  thinking  it  to  be  a 
firm  continent,  and  passing  up  a  very  large  river  a  great 
flaw  of  wind  took  me,  whereby  we  were  constrained  to 
seek  succour  for  that  night,  which  being  had,  I  landed 
with  the  most  part  of  my  company,  and  went  to  the 
top  of  a  high  mountain,  hoping  from  thence  to  see  into 
the  country ;  but  the  mountains  were  so  many  and  so 
mighty  as  that  my  purpose  prevailed  not,  whereupon  I 
again  returned  to  my  pinnace,  and  willing  divers  of 
my  company  to  gather  mussels  for  my  supper,  whereof 
in  this  place  there  was  great  store,  myseK  having 
F— 35 


162  NTOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

espied  a  very  strange  sight,  especially  to  me,  that  never 
before  saw  the  like,  which  was  a  mighty  whirlwind, 
taking  up  the  water  in  very  great  quantity,  furiously 
mounting  it  into  the  air,  which  whirlwind  was  not  for 
a  puff  or  blast,  but  continual  for  the  space  of  three 
hours,  with  very  little  intermission,  which  since  it  was 
in  the  course  that  I  should  pass,  we  were  constrained 
that  night  to  take  up  our  lodging  under  the  rocks. 

The  next  morning,  the  storm  being  broken  up,  we 
went  forward  in  our  attempt,  and  sailed  into  a  mighty 
great  river,  directly  into  the  body  of  the  land,  and  in 
brief  found  it  to  be  no  jfirm  land,  but  huge,  waste,  and 
desert  isles  with  mighty  sounds  and  inlets  passing  be- 
tween sea  and  sea.  Whereupon  we  returned  towards 
our  ships,  and  landing  to  stop  a  flood,  we  found  the 
burial  of  these  miscreants ;  we  found  of  their  fish  in 
bags,  plaices,  and  caplin  dried,  of  which  we  took  only 
one  bag  and  departed.  The  9th  of  this  month  we 
eame  to  our  ships,  where  we  found  the  people  desirous 
in  their  fashion  of  friendship  and  barter  :  our  mariners 
complained  heavily  against  the  people,  and  said  that 
my  lenity  and  friendly  using  of  them  gave  them  stomach 
to  mischief,  for  "they  have  stolen  an  anchor  from  us. 
They  have  cut  our  cable  very  dangerously,  they  have 
cut  our  boats  from  our  stern,  and  now,  since  your  de- 
parture, with  slings  they  spare  us  not  with  stones  of 
half  a  pound  weight.  And  will  you  still  endure  these 
injuries  ?  It  is  a  shame  to  bear  them."  I  desired  them 
to  be  content,  and  said  I  doubted  not  but  all  should  be 


-i 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  163 

well.  The  10th  of  this  month  I  went  to  the  shore,  the 
people  following  me  in  their  canoes ;  I  tolled  them  on 
shore,  and  used  them  with  mnch  courtesy,  and  tlien  de- 
parted aboard,  they  following  me  and  my  company.  I 
gave  some  of  them  bracelets,  and  caused  seven  or  eight 
of  them  to  come  aboard,  which  they  did  willingly ;  and 
some  of  them  went  into  the  top  of  our  ship,  and  thus 
courteously  using  them  I  let  them  depart.  The  sun 
was  no  sooner  down  but  they  began  to  practise  their 
devilish  nature,  and  with  slings  threw  stones  very 
fiercely  into  the  Moonlight  and  struck  one  of  her  men, 
the  boatswain,  that  he  overthrew  withal :  whereat  being 
moved,  I  changed  my  courtesy  and  grew  to  hatred ; 
myself  in  my  own  boat  well  manned  with  shot,  and  the 
barque's  boat  likewise  pursued  them,  and  gave  them 
divers  shot,  but  to  small  purpose,  by  reason  of  their 
swift  rowing  ;  so  small  content  we  returned. 

The  11th  of  this  month  there  came  five  of  them  to 
make  a  new  truce ;  the  master  of  the  Admiral  came  to 
me  to  show  me  of  their  coming,  and  desired  to  have 
them  taken  and  kept  as  prisoners  until  we  had  his 
anchor  again ;  but  when  he  saw  that  the  chief  ring- 
leader and  master  of  mischief  was  one  of  the  five,  he 
then  was  vehement  to  execute  his  purpose,  so  it  was 
determined  to  take  him ;  he  came  crying  "  Yliaout,"  and 
striking  his  breast  offered  a  pair  of  gloves  to  sell ;  the 
master  offered  him  a  knife  for  them :  so  two  of  them 
came  to  us  ;  the  one  was  not  touched,  but  the  other  was 
soon  captive  e^^\ong  us ;  then  we  pointed  to  him  and 


164  VOYAGES  IN  SEABCH   OF 

his  fellows  for  our  anchor,  which  being  had  we  ma4e 
signs  that  he  should  be  set  at  liberty  within  one  hour 
that  he  came  aboard ;  the  wind  came  fair,  whereupon  we 
weighed  and  set  sail,  and  so  brought  the  fellow  with 
us.    One  of  his  fellows  still  following  our  ship  close 
aboard,  talked  with  him,  and  made  a  kind  of  lamentation, 
we  still  using  him  well,  with  **  Tliaout,"  which  was  the 
common  course  of  courtesy.     At  length  this  feUow 
aboard  us  spo^e  four  or  five  words  unto  the  other  and 
clapped  his  two  hands  upon  his  face,  whereupon  the 
other  doing  .the  like,  departed,  as  we  supposed,  with 
heavy  cheer.      We  judged  the  covering  of  his  face 
with    his    hands,    and    bowing    of    his  body    down, 
signified  his  death.    At  length  he  became  a  pleasant 
companion  among  us.    I  gave  him  a  new  suit  of  frieze 
after  the  English  fashion,  becnuse  I   saw  he  could 
not  endure  the  cold,  of  which  he  was  very  joyful ;    he 
trimmed  up  his  darts,  and  all  his  fishing  tools,  and  - 
would  make  oakum,  and  set  his  hand  to  a  rope's  end 
upon  occasion.     He  lived  with  the  dry  caplin  that  I 
took  when  I  was. searching  in  the  pinnace,  and  did  eat 
dry  new  land  fish. 

All  this  while,  God  be  thanked,  our  people  were  in 
very  good  health,  only  one  young  man  excepted,  who 
died  at  sea  the  14th  of  this  month,  and  the  15th, 
according  to  the  order  of  the  sea,  with  praise  given  to 
God  by  service,  was  cast  overboard. 

The  17th  of  tliis  month,  being  in  the  latitude  of  63 
degrees  8  minutes,  we  fell  upon  a  most  mighty  and 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  165 

strange  quantity  of  ice,  in  one  entire  mass,  so  big  as 
that  we  knew  not  the  limits  thereof,  and  being  withal 
so  very  high,  in  form  of  a  land,  with  bays  and  capes, 
and  like  high  cliff  land  as  that  we  supposed  it  to  be 
land,  and  therefore  sent  our  pinnace  off  to  discover  it ; 
but  at  her  return  we  were  certainly  informed  that  it 
was  only  ice,  which  bred  great  admiration  to  us  all, 
considering  the  huge  quantity  thereof  incredible  to  be 
reported  in  truth  as  it  was,  and  therefore  I  omit  to 
speak  any  further  thereof.  This  only,  I  think  that 
the  like  before  was  never  seen,  and  in  this  place  we  had 
very  stickle  and  strong  currents. 

"We  coasted  this  mighty  mass  of  ice  until  the  30th  of 
July,  finding  it  a  mighty  bar  to  our  purpose :  the  air  in 
this  time  was  so  contagious,  and  the  sea  so  pestered 
with  ice,  as  that  all  hope  was  banished  of  proceeding ; 
for  the  24th  of  July  all  our  shrouds,  ropes,  and  sails 
were  so  frozen,  and  encompassed  with  ice,  only  by  a 
gross  fog,  as  seemed  to  be  more  than  strange,  since  the 
last  year  I  found  this  sea  free  and  navigable,  without 
impediments. 

Our  men  through  this  extremity  began  to  grow  sick 
and  feeble,  and  withal  hopeless  of  good  success; 
whereupon,  very  orderly,  with  good  discretion  they 
entreated  me  to  regard  the  state  of  this  business,  and 
withal  advised  me  that  in  conscience  I  ought  to  regard 
the  safety  of  mine  own  life  with  the  preservation  of 
theirs,  and  that  I  should  not,  through  my  overboldness, 
leave  their  widows  and  fatherless  children  to  give  me 


166  VOYAGES  IN  SEAECH  OP  ;. 

"bitter  curses.  This  matter  in  conscience  did  greatly 
move  me  to  regard  their  estates,  yet  considering  the 
excellency  of  the  business,  if  it  might  be  obtained,  the 
great  hope  of  certainty  by  the  last  year's  discovery, 
and  that  there  was  yet  a  third  way  not  put  in  practice, 
I  thought  it  would  grow  to  my  disgrace  if  this  action 
by  my  negligence  should  grow  into  discredit :  where- 
upon seeking  help  from  Grod,  the  fountain  of  all 
mercies,  it  pleased  His  Divine  Majesty  to  move  my 
heart  to  prosecute  that  which  I  hope  shall  be  to  His 
glory,  and  to  the  contentation  of  every  Christian  mind. 
Whereupon,  falling  into  consideration  that  the  Mer- 
maid, albeit  a  very  strong  and  sufficient  ship,  yet  by 
reason  of  her  burden  not  so  convenient  and  nimble  as 
a  smaller  barque,  especially  in  such  desperate  hazards ; 
further,  having  in  account  how  great  charge  to  the 
adventurers,  being  at  100  livres  the  month,  and  that  in 
doubtful  service,  all  the  premises  considered,  with 
divers  other  things,  I  determined  to  furnish  the  Moon-^ 
light  with  revictualling  and  sufficient  men,  and  to  pro- 
ceed in  this  action  as  God  should  direct  me ;  whereupon 
I  altered  our  course  from  the  ice,  and  bore  east-south- 
east to  the  cover  of  the  next  shore,  where  this  thing 
might  be  performed;  so  with  favourable  wind  it 
pleased  God  that  the  Ist  of  August  we  discovered  the 
land  in  latitude  ^Q  degrees  33  minutes,  and  in  longi- 
tude from  the  meridian  of  London  70  degrees,  void 
of  trouble,  without  snow  or  ice. 
.    The  2nd  of  August  we  harboured  ourselves  in  a  very 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  167 

excellent  good  road,  where  with  all  speed  we  graved  the 
Moonlight,  and  revictualled  her;  we  searched  this 
country  with  our  pinnace  while  the  barque  was  trim- 
ming, which  William  Eston  did  :  he  found  all  this  land 
to  be  only  islands,  with  a  sea  on  the  east,  a  sea  on  the 
west,  and  a  sea  on  the  north.  In  this  place  we  found 
it  very  hot,  and  we  were  very  much  troubled  with  a  fly 
which  is  called  mosquito,  for  they  did  sting  grievously. 
The  people  of  this  place  at  our  first  coming  in  caught 
a  seal,  and  with  bladders  fast  tied  to  him  sent  him 
in  to  us  with  the  flood,  so  as  he  came  right  with  our 
ships,  which  we  took  as  a  friendly  present  from  them. 

The  5th  of  August  I  went  with  the  two  masters  and 
others  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  by  the  way  William 
Eston  espied  three  canoes  lying  under  a  rock,  and  went 
unto  them :  there  were  in  them  skins,  darts,  with 
divers  superstitious  toys,  whereof  we  diminished  no- 
thing, but  left  upon  every  boat  a  silk  point,  a  bullet , 
of  lead,  and  a  pin.  The  next  day,  being  the  6th  of 
August,  the  people  came  unto  us  without  fear,  and  did 
barter  with  us  for  skins,  as  the  other  people  did :  they 
differ  not  from  the  other,  neither  in  their  canoes  nor 
apparel,  yet  is  their  pronunciation  more  plain  than 
the  others,  and  nothing  hollow  in  the  throat.  Our 
miscreant  aboard  of  us  kept  himself  close,  and  made 
show  that  he  would  fain  have  another  companion. 
Thus  being  provided,  I  departed  from  this  land  the 
12th  of  August  at  six  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  where  * 
I  left  the  Mermaid  at  anchor ;  the  14th  sailing  west 


168  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

about  50  leagues  we  discovered  land,  being  in  latitude 
66  degrees  19  minutes  :  this  land  is  70  leagues  from  the 
other  from  whence  we  came.  This  14th  day,  from  nine 
o'clock  at  night  till  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we 
anchored  by  an  island  of  ice  12  leagues  off  the  shore, 
being  moored  to  the  ice. 

The  15th  day,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  de- 
parted from  this  land  to  the  south,  and  the  18th  of 
August  we  discovered  land  north-west  from  us  in  the 
morning,  being  a  very  fair  promontory,  in  latitude  65 
degrees,  having  no  land  on  the  south.  Here  we  had 
great  hope  of  a  through  passage. 

This  day,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  again* 
discovered  land  south-west  and  by  south  from  us, 
where  at  night  we  were  becalmed.  The  19th  of  this 
month  at  noon,  by  observation,  we  were  in  64  degrees 
20  minutes.  From  the  18th  day  at  noon  until  the 
19th  at  noon,  by  precise  ordinary  care,  we  had  sailed 
fifteen  leagues  south  and  by  west,  yet  by  art  and  more 
exact  observation  we  found  our  course  to  be  south- 
west, so  that  we  plainly  perceived  a  great  current 
striking  to  the  west. 

This  land  is  nothing  in  sight  but  isles,  which  in- 
creaseth  our  hope.  This  19th  of  August,  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  it  began  to  snow,  and  so  con- 
tinued all  night,  with  foul  weather  and  much  wind,  so 
that  we  were  constrained  to  lie  at  hull  all  night,  five 
leagues  off  the  shore  :  in  the  morning,  being  the  20th 
of  Angust,  the  fog  and  storm  breaking  up,  we  bore  in 


THE   NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  169 

with  the  land,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  w© 
anchored  in  a  very  fair  and  safe  road  and  locket  for  all 
weathers.  At  ten  o'clock  I  went  on  shore  to  the  top 
of  a  very  high  hill,  where  I  perceived  that  this  land 
was  islands ;  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we 
weighed  anchor,  having  a  fair  north-north-east  wind, 
with  very  fair  weather ;  at  six  o'clock  we  were  clear 
without  the  land,  and  so  shaped  our  course  to  the 
south,  to  discover  the  coast  whereby  the  passage  may 
be  through  God's  mercy  found. 

"We  coasted  this  land  till  the  28th  day  of  August, 
finding  it  still  to  continue  towards  the  south,  from 
the  latitude  of  67  to  57  degrees ;  we  found  marvellous 
great  store  of  birds,  gulls  and  mews,  incredible  to 
be  reported,  whereupon  being  cabn  weather  we  lay 
one  glass  upon  the  lee  to  prove  for  fish,  in  which 
space  we  caught  one  hundred  of  cod,  although  we 
were  but  badly  provided  for  fishing,  not  being  our 
purpose.  This  28th,  having  great  distrust  of  the 
weather,  we  arrived  in  a  very  fair  harbour  in  the 
latitude  of  56  degrees,  and  sailed  ten  leagues  in 
the  same,  being  two  leagues  broad,  with  very  fair 
woods  on  both  sides ;  in  this  place  we  continued 
until  the  1st  of  September,  in  which  time  we  had 
two  very  great  storms.  I  landed,  and  went  six  miles 
by  guess  into  the  country,  and  found  that  the  woods 
were  fir,  pine-apple,  alder,  yew,  withy,  and  birch; 
here  we  saw  a  black  bear ;  this  place  yieldeth  great 
store  of  birds,  as  pheasant,  partridge,  Barbary  hens,  or 


17U  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

the  like,  wild  geese,  ducks,  blackbirds,  jays,  thrushes, 
with  other  kinds  of  small  birds.  Of  the  partridge  and 
pheasant  we  killed  great  store  with  bow  and  arrows 
in  this  place;  at  the  harbour-mouth  we  found  great 
store  of  cod. 

The  1st  of  September  at  ten  o'clock  we  set  sail,  and 
coasted  the  shore  with  very  fair  weather.  The  third 
day  being  calm,  at  noon  we  struck  sail,  and  let  fall  a 
cadge  anchor  to  prove  whether  we  could  take  any  fish, 
being  in  latitude  54  degrees  30  minutes,  in  which  place 
we  found  great  abundance  of  cod,  so  that  the  hook  was 
no  sooner  overboard  but  presently  a  fish  was  taken. 
It  was  the  largest  and  best  ref  et  fish  that  ever  I  saw? 
and  divers  fishermen  that  were  with  me  said  that  they 
never  saw  a  more  suaule,  or  bettei'  skull  of  fish  in  their 
lives,  yet  had  they  seen  great  abundance. 

The  4th  of  September,  at  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
we  anchored  in  a  very  good  road  among  great  store  of 
isles,  the  country  low  land,  pleasant,  and  very  full  of 
fair  woods.  To  the  north  of  this  place  eight  leagues 
we  had  a  perfect  hope  of  the  passage,  finding  a  mighty 
great  sea  passing  between  two  lands  west.  The  south 
land  to  our  judgment  being  nothing  but  isles,  we 
greatly  desired  to  go  into  this  sea,  but  the  wind  was 
directly  against  us.  "We  anchored  in  four  fathom  fine 
sand. 

In  this  place  is  fowl  and  fish  mighty  store. 

The  6th  of  September,  having  a  fair  north-north- 
west wind,  having  trimmed  our  barque,  we  purposed  to 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  171 

depart,  and  sent  five  of  our  sailors,  young  men,  ashore 
to  an  island  to  fetch  certain  fish  which  we  purposed  to 
weather,  and  thei.'efore  left  it  all  night  covered  upon 
the  isle  ;  the  brutish  people  of  this  country  lay  secretly 
lurking  in  the  wood,  and  upon  the  sudden  assaulted  our 
men,  which  when  we  perceived,  we  presently  let  slip 
our  cables  upon  the  halse,  and  under  our  foresail  bore 
into  the  shore,  and  with  all  expedition  discharged  a 
double  musket  upon  them  twice,  at  the  noise  whereof 
they  fled ;  notwithstanding,  to  our  very  great  grief, 
two  of  our  men  were  slain  with  their  arrows,  and  two 
grievously  wounded,  of  whom,  at  this  present,  we  stand 
in  very  great  doubt ;  only  one  escaped  by  swimming, 
with  an  arrow  shot  through  his  arm.  These  wicked 
miscreants  never  offered  parley  or  speech,  but  presently 
executed  their  cursed  fury.  Tliis  present  evening  it 
pleased  God  farther  to  increase  our  sorrows  with  a 
mighty  tempestuous  storm,  the  wind  being  north-north- 
east, which  lasted  unto  the  10th  of  this  month  very 
extreme.  We  unrigged  our  ship,  and  purposed  to  cut 
down  our  masts ;  the  cable  of  our  shut  anchor  broke,  so 
that  we  only  expected  to  be  driven  on  shore  amongst 
these  cannibals  for  their  prey.  Tet  in  this  deep  dis- 
tress the  mighty  mercy  of  God,  when  hope  was  past, 
gave  us  succour,  and  sent  us  a  fair  lee,  so  as  we  re- 
covered our  anchor  again,  and  new-moored  our  ship ; 
where  we  saw  that  God  manifestly  delivered  us,  for 
the  strains  of  one  of  our  cables  were  broken ;  we  only 
rode  by  an  old  junk.    Thus  being  freshly  moored,  a 


\ 


172  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH  OF 

new  storm  arose,  the  wind  being  west-north- west,  very 
forcible,  which  lasted  unto  the  10th  day  at  night. 

The  11th  day,  with  a  fair  west-north-west  wind,  we 
departed  with  trust  in  God's  mercy,  shaping  our  course 
for  England,  and  arrived  in  the  West  Country  in  the 
beginning  of  October. 


Master  Davis  being  arrivedy  wrote  his  letter  to 
Master  William  Sanderson  of  London^  con- 
cerning his  voyage,  as  followeth. 

Sir, — The  Sunshine  came  into  Dartmouth  the  4th  of 
this  month  :  she  hath  been  at  Iceland,  and  from  thence 
to  Greenland,  and  so  to  Estotiland,  from  thence  to 
Desolation,  and  to  our  merchants,  where  she  made 
trade  with  the  people,  staying  in  the  country  twenty 
days.  They  have  brought  home  500  seal-skins,  and  140 
half-skins  and  pieces  of  skins.  I  stand  in  great 
doubt  of  the  pinnace ;  God  be  merciful  unto  the  poor 
men  and  preserve  them  if  it  be  His  blessed  will. 

I  have  now  full  experience  of  much  of  the  north- 
west part  of  the  world,  and  have  brought  the  passage 
to  that  certainty,  as  that  I  am  sure  it  must  be  in  one  of 
four  places,  or  else  not  at  all.  And  further,  I  can 
assure  you  upon  the  peril  of  my  life,  that  this  voyage 
may  be  performed  without  further  charge,  nay,  with 
certain  profit  to  the  adventurers,  if  I  may  have  but 
your  favour  in  the  action.  Surely  it  shall  cost  me  all 
my  hope  of  welfare  and  my  portion  of  Sandridge,  but 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  173 

I  will,  by  God's  mercy,  see  an  end  of  these  businesses. 
I  hope  I  shall  find  favour  with  you  to  see  your  card. 
I  pray  God  it  be  so  true  as  the  card  shall  be  which  I 
will  bring  to  you,  and  I  hope  in  God  that  your  skill  in 
navigation  shall  be  gainful  unto  you ,  although  at  the 
first  it  hath  not  proved  so.  And  thus  with  my  most 
humble  commendations  I  commit  you  to  God,  desiring 
no  longer  to  live  than  I  shall  be  yours  most  faithfully 
to  command.  From  this  14th  of  October,  1586. 
Tours  with  my  heart,  body  and  life  to  command, 

John  Davis. 


The  relation  of  tfie  course  which  the  "  Sunshine,^^  a 
barque  of  fifty  tons,  and  the  ^^  North  Star,'*  a 
small  pinnace,  being  two  vessels  of  the  feet  of 
Master  John  Davis,  held  after  he  had  sent  them 
from  him  to  discover  the  passage  between  Green- 
land  and  Iceland.  Written  by  Henry  Mor- 
gan, servant  to  Master  William  Sanderson  of 
London, 

The  7th  day  of  May,  1586,  we  departed  out  of  Dart- 
month  Haven  four  sails,  to  wit,  the  Mermaid,  tho 
Sunshine,  the  Moonshine,  and  the  North  Star.  In  the 
Sunshine  were  sixteen  men,  whose  names  were  these : 
Kichard  Pope,  master ;  Mark  Carter,  master's  mate ; 
Henry  Morgan,  purser;  George  Draward,  John  Mandie, 


174»  VOYAGES  IN  SBABCH  OF 

Hugh  Broken,  Philip  Jane,  Hugh  Hempson,  Biohard 
Borden,  John  Filpe,  Andrew  Modocke,  William 
Wolcome,  Robert  Wagge,  carpenter,  John  Bruskome, 
William  Ashe,  Simon  Ellis. 

Our  course  was  west-north-west  the  7th  and  8th 
days ;  and  the  ninth  day  in  the  morning  we  were 
on  head  of  the  Tarrose  of  Scilly.  Thus  coasting 
along  the  south  part  of  Ireland,  the  11th  day  we  were 
on  the  head  of  the  Dorses,  and  our  course  was  south- 
south-west  until  six  of  the  clock  the  12th  day.  The 
13th  day  our  course  was  north-west.  We  remained  in 
the  company  of  the  Mermaid  and  the  3Ioonshine  until 
we  came  to  the  latitude  of  60  degrees,  and 'there  it 
seemed  best  to  our  general,  Master  Davis,  to  divide  his 
fleet,  himself  sailing  to  the  north-west,  and  to  direct 
the  Sunshine,  wherein  I  was,  and  the  pinnace  called 
the  North  Star,  to  seek  a  passage  northward  between 
Greenland  and  Iceland  to  the  latitude  of  80  degrees, 
if  land  did  not  let  us.  So  the  7th  day  of  June  we 
departed  from  them,  and  the  9th  of  the  same  we 
came  to  a  firm  land  of  ice,  which  we  coasted  along 
the  9th,  the  10th,  and  the  11th  days  of  June ;  and 
the  11th  day  at  six  of  the  clock  at  night  we  saw 
land,  which  was  very  high,  which  afterwards  we  knew 
to  be  Iceland,  and  the  12th  day  we  harboured  there, 
and  found  many  people ;  the  land  lieth  east  and  by 
north  in  66  degrees.  *        '^ 

Their  commodities  were  green  fish  and  Iceland 
lings  and  stock  fish,  and  a  fish  which  is  called  catfish. 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  175 

of  all  which  they  had  great  store.  They  had  also 
kine,  sheep,  and  horses,  and  hay  for  their  cattle  and 
for  their  horses.  We  saw  also  of  their  dogs.  Their 
dwelling-houses  were  made  on  both  sides  with  stones, 
and  wood  laid  across  over  them,  which  was  covered 
over  with  turfs  of  earth,  and  they  are  flat  on  the  tops, 
and  many  of  those  stood  hard  by  the  shore.  Their 
boats  were  made  with  wood,  and  iron  all  along  the 
keel  like  our  English  boats ;  and  tlioy  had  nails  for 
to  nail  them  withal,  and  fish-hooks,  and  other  things 
for  to  catch  fish  as  we  have  here  in  England.  They 
had  also  brazen  kettles,  and  girdles  and  purses 
made  of  leather,  and  knops  on  them  of  copper,  and 
hatchets,  and  other  small  tools  as  necessary  as  we 
have.  They  dry  their  fish  in  the  sun ;  and  when  they 
are  dry  they  pack  them  up  in  the  top  of  their  houses. 
If  we  would  go  thither  to  fishing  more  than  we  do,  we 
should  make  it  a  very  good  voyage,  for  we  got  a 
hundred  green  fishes  in  one  morning.  We  found  here 
two  Englishmen  with  a  ship,  which  came  out  of 
England  about  Easter  Day  of  this  present  year,  1586 ; 
and  one  of  them  came  aboard  of  us  and  brought  us 
two  lambs.  The  Englishman's  name  was  Master 
John  Royden,  of  Ipswich,  merchant;  he  was  bound 
for  London  with  his  ship.  And  this  is  the  sum  of 
that  which  I  observed  in  Iceland.  We  departed  from 
Iceland  the  16th  day  of  June,  in  the  morning,  and  our 
course  was  north-west;  and  saw  on  the  coast  two 
small  barques  going  to  a  harbour;   we  went  not  to 


^ 


176  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

them,  but  saw  them  afar  off.  Thus  we  continued  our 
course  unto  the  end  of  this  month. 

The  3rd  day  of  July  we  were  in  between  two  firm 
lands  of  ice,  and  passed  in  between  them  all  that  day 
until  it  was  night,  and  then  the  mastor  turned  back 
again,  and  so  away  we  went  towards  Greenland.  And 
the  7th  day  of  July  we  did  see  Greenland,  and  it  was 
very  high,  and  it  looked  very  blue  ;  but  we  could  not 
come  to  harbour  in  the  Liiid  because  we  were  hindered 
by  a  firm  land,  as  it  were,  of  ice,  which  was  along  the 
shore's  side  ;  but  we  were  within  three  leagues  of  the 
land,  coasting  the  same  divers  days  together.  The 
17th  day  of  July  we  saw  the  place  which  otir  captain. 
Master  John  Davis,  the  year  before  had  named  the 
Land  of  Desolation,  where  we  could  not  go  on  shore 
for  ice.  The  18th  dav  we  were  likewise  troubled 
with  ice,  and  went  in  amongst  it  at  three  of  the  clock 
in  the  morning.  After  we  had  cleared  ourselves 
thereof  we  ranged  all  along  the  coast  of  Desolation 
mitil  the  end  of  the  aforesaid  month. 

The  3rd  day  of  August  we  came  in  sight  of  Gilbert's 
Sound  in  the  latitude  of  64  degrees  15  minutes,  which 
was  the  place 'where  we  were  appointed  to  meet  our 
general  and  the  rest  of  our  fleet.  Here  we  came  to  a 
harbour  at  six  of  the  clock  at  night. 

The  4th  day,  in  the  morning,  the  master  went  on 
shore  with  ten  of  his  men,  and  they  brought  us  four  of 
the  people  rowing  in  their  boats,  aboard  of  the  ship. 
And  in  the  afternoon  I  went  on  shore  with  six  of  our 


THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  177 

men,  and  there  came  to  us  seven  of  them  when  we  were 
on  land.  We  found  on  shore  three  dead  people,  and 
two  of  them  had  their  staves  lying  by  them,  and  their 
old  skins  wrapped  about  them,  and  the  other  had 
nothing  lying  by,  wherefore  we  thought  it  was  a 
woman.  We  also  saw  tlieir  houses,  near  the  seaside, 
which  were  made  with  pieces  of  wood  on  both  sides, 
and  crossed  over  with  poles  and  then  covered  over 
with  earth.  We  found  foxes  running  upon  the  hills. 
As  for  the  place,  it  is  broken  land  all  the  way  that 
we  went,  and  full  of  broken  islands.  The  21st  of 
August  the  master  sent  the  boat  on  shore  for  wood, 
with  six  of  his  men,  and  there  were  one-and-thirty  of 
the  people  of  the  country,  which  went  on  shore  to 
them,  and  they  went  about  to  kill  them  as  we  thought, 
for  they  shot  their  darts  towards  them,  and  we  that 
were  aboalrd  the  ship  did  see  them  go  on  shore  to  our 
men,  whereupon  the  master  sent  the  pinnace  after 
them ;  and  when  thay  b^w  the  'linnace  coming  towards 
them  they  turned  back,  and  the  master  of  the  pinnace 
did  shoot  ofE  a  culliver  to  them  the  same  time,  but 
hurt  none  of  them,  for  his  meaning  was  only  to  put 
them  in  fear.  Divers  times  they  did  wave  us  on 
shore  to  play  with  them  at  the  football,  and  some  of 
our  company  went  on  shore  to  play  with  them,  and  our 
men  did  cast  them  down  as  soon  as  they  did  come  to 
strike  the  ball.  And  thus  much  of  that  which  we  did 
see  and  do  in  that  harbour  where  we  arrived  first. 
The  23rd  day  we  departed  from  the  merchants  where 


178  VOYAGES   IN  8HAECH  OF 

we  had  been  first,  and  our  course  from  thence  was 
south  and  by  west,  and  the  wind  was  north-east,  and 
we  ran  that  day  and  night  about  five  or  six  leagues 
until  we  came  to  another  harbour. 

The  24th,  about  eleven  of  the  clock  in  the  forenoon, 
we  entered  into  the  aforosnid  ii^w  luirbour,  and  as  we 
came  in  we  did  see  dogs  running  upon  the  islands. 
"VYhen  we  were  come  in,  there  came  to  us  four  of  the 
people  which  were  with  us  before  in  the  other  harbour  j 
and  where  we  rowed  we  had  sandy  ground.  We  saw  no 
wood  growing,  but  found  small  pieces  of  wood  upou 
the  islands,  and  some  small  pieces  of  sweet  wood 
among  the  same.  We  found  great  harts'  liorus,  but 
could  see  none  of  the  stags  where  we  went,  but  we 
found  their  footings.  As  for  the  bones  which  we 
received  of  the  savages,  I  cannot  tell  of  what  beasts 
tiiey  be.  The  stones  that  we  found  in  the  country  were 
black,  and  so?ne  white  ;  as  I  think,  they  be  of  no  value ; 
nevertheless  I  have  brought  examples  of  them  to 
you. 

The  30th  of  August  we  departed  from  this  harbour 
towards  England,  and  the  wind  took  us  contrary,  so 
that  we  were  fain  to  go  to  another  harbour  the  same 
day  at  eleven  of  the  clock.  And  there  came  to  us 
thirty-nine  of  the  people  and  brought  as  thirteen  seal- 
skins, and  after  we  received  these  skins  of  *\em.  the 
master  sent  the  carpenter  to  change  one  of  our  boats 
which  we  had  bought  of  them  before ;  and  they  would 
have  taken  the  boat  from  him  perforce,  and  when  they 


THE  NORTH- WEST  PASSAGE.  179 

saw  they  could  not  take  it  from  us  they  shot  with  their 
darts  at  us,  and  struck  one  of  our  men  with  one  of 
their  darts,  and  John  Filpe  shot  one  of  them  in  the 
breast  with  an  arrcv.  And  they  came  to  us  again,  and 
four  of  our  men  went  into  the  ship  boat,  and  they  shot 
with  their  darts  at  our  men ;  but  our  men  took  one  of 
their  people  in  his  boat,  into  the  ship  boat,  and  he  hurt 
one  of  them  with  his  knife,  but  we  killed  three  of 
them  in  their  boats,  two  of  tliem  were  hurt  with 
arrows  in  the  breast,  and  he  that  was  aboard  our 
boat  was  shot  with  an  arrow,  and  hurt  with  a  sword, 
and  beaten  with  staves,  whom  our  men  cast  overboard ; 
but  the  people  caught  him  and  carried  him  on  shore 
upon  tlieir  boi..s,  and  the  other  two  also,  and  so  de- 
parted from  us.  And  three  of  them  went  on  shore 
hard  by  us  where  they  had  their  dogs,  and  those  three 
came  away  from  their  dogs,  and  presently  one  of  their 
dogs  came  swimming  towards  us  hard  aboard  the  ship, 
whereupon  our  master  caused  the  gunner  to  shoot  off 
one  of  the  great  pieces  towards  the  people,  and  so  the 
dog  turned  back  to  land,  and  within  an  hour  after 
there  came  of  the  people  hard  aboard  the  ship,  but  they 
would  not  come  to  us  as  they  did  before. 

The  31st  of  August  we  departed  from  Gilbert's 
Sound  for  England,  and  when  we  came  out  of  the 
harbour  there  came  after  us  seventeen  of  the  people 
looking  which  way  we  went. 

The  2nd  of  September  we  lost  sight  of  the  land  at 
twelve  of  the  clock  at  noon.  ,   .'    ' 


180  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

The  3rd  day  at  night  we  lost  sighfc  of  the  North  Sta/r, 
onr  pinnace,  in  a  very  great  storm,  and  lay  a-hull 
tarrying  for  them  the  4th  day,  but  could  hear  no  more 
of  them.  Thus  we  shaped  our  course  the  5th  day  south- 
south-east,  and  sailing  unto  the  27th  of  the  said  month, 
we  came  in  sight  of  Cape  Clfar  in  Ireland. 

The  30th  day  we  entered  into  our  own  Channel. 

The  2nd  of  October  we  had  sight  of  the  Isle  of 
Wight. 

The  3rd  we  coasted  all  along  the  shore,  and  the  4th 
and  5th. 

The  6th  of  the  said  month  of  October  we  came  into 
the  River  of  Thames  as  high  as  RatclifPe  in  safety, 
God  be  thanked ! 


THE    THIRD  ^  VOYAGE    NORTH-WEST- 
WARD, MADE  BY  JOHN  DAYIS, 

Gentleman^  as  chief  captain  and  jnlot  general/or 
the  discovery  of  a  passage  to  the  Isles  of  the 
Molucca^  or  the  coast  of  Ghinay  in  the  year 
1587.  Written  hy  John  Janes,  servant  to  the 
aforesaid  Master  William  Sanderson. 

•  May. — The  19th  of  this  present  month,  about  mid- 
night, we  weighed  our  anchors,  set  sail  and  departed  from 
Dartmouth  with  two  barques  and  a  clincher,  the  one 
named  the  Elizabeth,  of  Dartmouth,  the  other  the  Sun- 
shine, of  London,  and  the  clincher  called  the  Ellin,  of 
London ;  thus,  in  God's  name,  we  set  forwards  with 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  181 

the  wind  at  north-east,  a  good  fresh  gale.  About 
three  hours  after  our  departure,  the  night  being  some- 
what thick  with  darkness,  we  had  lost  the  pinnace. 
The  captain,  imagining  that  the  men  had  run  away 
with  her,  willed  the  master  of  the  Sunshine  to  stand 
to  seawards  and  see  if  wo  could  descry  them,  we  bear- 
ing in  with  the  shore  for  Plymouth.  At  length  we 
descried  her,  bore  with  her,  and  denmnded  what  the 
cause  was  ;  they  answered  that  the  tiller  of  their  helm 
was  burst,  so  shaping  our  course  west-south-west,  we 
went  forward,  hoping  that  a  hard  beginning  would 
make  a  good  ending  ;  yet  some  of  us  were  doubtful  of 
it,  failing  in  reckoning  that  she  was  a  clincher ;  ueyer- 
theless,  we  put  our  trust  in  God. 

The  21st  we  met  with  the  Bed  Lion  of  London, 
which  came  from  the  coast  of  Spain,  which  was  afraid 
that  we  had  been  men-of-war  ;  but  we  liailed  them,  and 
after  a  little  conference  wo  desired  the  master  to  carry 
our  letters  for  London,  directed  to  my  uncle  Sander- 
son, who  promised  us  safe  delivery.  And  after  wq  had 
heaved  them  a  lead  and  a  line,  whereunto  we  had  made 
fast  our  letters,  before  they  could  get  them  into  the 
ship  they  fell  into  the  sea,  and  so  all  our  kljour  and 
theirs  also  was  lost ;  notwithstanding,  they  promised 
to  certify  our  departure  at  London,  and  so  we  de- 
parteu,  and  the  same  day  we  had  sight  of  Scilly.  The 
22nd  the  wind  was  at  north-east  by  east,  with  fair 
weather,  and  so  the  23rd  and  24th  the  like.  The  25th 
we  laid  our  ships  on  the  lee  for  the  Sunshine,  who  was 


IS  J  VOYAGES  IN  SEARCH  OF 

a-rummaging  for  a  leak ;  they  had  500  strokes  at  the 
pump  in  a  watch,  with  the  wind  at  north-west. 

The  26th  and  27th  we  had  fair  weather,  but  ^his 
27th  the  pinnace's  foremast  was  blown  overboard.  The 
28th  the  Elizabeth  towed  the  pinnace,  which  was  so 
much  bragged  of  by  the  owner's  report  before  we 
came  out  of  England,  but  at  sea  she  was  like  a  cart 
drawn  with  oxen.  Sometimes  we  towed  her,  because 
she  could  not  sail  for  scant  wind. 

The  31st  day  our  captain  asked  if  the  pinnace  were 
staunch.  Peerson  answered  that  she  was  as  sound  and 
staunch  as  a  cup.  This  made  us  something  glad  when 
we  saw  she  would  brook  the  sea,  and  was  not  leaky. 

June. — The  first  six  days  we  had  fair  weather;  after 
that  for  five  days  we  had  fog  and  rain,  the  wind  being 
south. 

The  12th  we  had  clear  weather.  The  mariners  in 
the  Sunshine  and  the  master  could  not  agree;  the 
mariners  would  go  on  their  voyage  a-fishing,  because 
the  year  began  to  waste  ;  the  master  would  not  depart 
till  he  had  the  company  of  the  Elizabeth,  whereupon 
the  master  told  our  captain  that  he  was  afraid  his  men 
would  shape  some  contrary  course  while  he  was  asleep, 
^nd  so  he  should  lose  us.  Ab  length,  after  much  talk 
and  many  threatenings,  they  yrere  content  to  bring  us 
to  the  land  which  we  looked  for  daily. 

The  13th  we  had  fog  and  rain. 

The  14th  day  we  discovered  land  at  five  of  the  clock 
in  the  morning,  being  very  great  and  high  mountains, 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  183 

the  tops  of  the  hills  being  covered  with  snow.  Here 
the  wind  was  variable,  sometimes  north-east,  east- 
north-east,  and  east  by  north ;  but  we  imagined  our- 
selves to  be  16  or  17  leagues  off  from  the  shore. 

The  15th  we  had  reasonably  clear  weather. 

The  16th  we  came  to  an  anchor  about  four  or  five  of 
the  clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  people  came  presently 
to  us,  after  the  old  manner,  with  crying  '*  II  y  a  oute," 
and  showed  us  seal- skins. 

The  17th  we  began  to  set  up  the  pinnace  that  Peer- 
son  framed  at  Dartmouth,  with  the  boards  which  he 
brought  from  Loudon. 

The  18th,  Peerson  and  the  carpenters  of  the  ships 
began  to  set  on  the  planks. 

The  19th,  as  we  went  about  an  island,  were  found 
black  pumice  stones,  and  salt  kerned  on  the  rocks,  very 
white  and  glistering.  This  day,  also,  the  master  of  the 
Sunshine  took  one  of  the  people,  a  very  strong,  lusty 
young  fellow. 

The  20th,  about  two  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  the 
savages  came  to  the  island  where  our  pinnace  was 
built  ready  to  be  launched,  and  tore  the  two  upper 
strakes  and  carried  them  away,  only  for  the  love  of  the 
iron  in  the  boards.  While  they  were  about  this  practice, 
we  manned  the  Elizabeth's  boat  to  go  ashore  to  them. 
Our  men,  being  either  afraid  or  amazed,  were  so  long  be- 
fore they  came  to  shore,  that  our  captain  willed  them  to 
stay,  and  made  the  gunner  give  fire  to  a  saker,  and  laid 
the  piece   level  with  the  boat,  which  the  savages  had 


184  VOYAGES  IN   SEARCH  OP 

turned  on  the  one  side  because  we  could  not  hurt  them 
with  our  arrows,  and  made  the  boat  their  bulwark 
against  the  arrows  which  we  shot  at  them.  Qur 
gunner,  having  made  all  things  ready,  gave  fire  to  the 
piece,  and  fearing  to  hurt  any  of  the  people,  and  re- 
garding the  owner's  profit,  thought  belike  he  would 
save  a  saker*8  shot,  doubting  we  should  have  occasion 
to  fight  with  men-of-war,  and  so  shot  off  the  saker  with- 
ouc  A  bullet,  we  looking  still  when  the  savages  that  were 
hurt  should  run  away  without  legs ;  at  length  we  could 
perceive  never  a  man  hurt,  but  all  having  their  legs, 
could  carry  away  their  bodies.  We  had  no  sooner  shot 
off  the  piece  but  the  master  of  the  Stinshine  manned 
his  boat,  and  came  rowing  towards  the  island,  the  very 
sight  of  whom  made  each  of  them  take  that  he  had 
gotten,  and  fly  away  as  fast  as  they  could  to  another 
island  about  two  miles  off,  where  they  took  the  nails 
out  of  the  timber,  and  left  the  wood  on  the  isle.  When 
we  came  on  shore,  and  saw  how  they  had  spoiled  the 
boat,  after  much  debating  of  the  matter,  we  agreed 
that  the  Elizabeth  should  have  her  to  fish  withal ; 
whereupon  she  was  presently  carried  aboard  and  stowed. 
Now  after  this  trouble,  being  resolved  to  depart 
with  the  first  wind,  there  fell  out  another  matter 
worse  than  all  the  rost,  and  that  was  in  this  manner  : 
John  Churchyard,  one  whom  our  captain  had  appointed 
as  pilot  in  the  pinnace,  came  to  our  captain  and 
Muster  Bruton,  and  told  them  thattlie  good  ship  which 
we  must  all  hazard  our  lives  in  had  three  hundred 


.       THE  NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  186 

strokes  at  one  time  as  she  rode  in  the  harbour.  This 
disquieted,  us  all  greatly,  and  many  doubted  to  go  in 
her.  At  length  our  captain,  by  whom  we  were  all  to 
be  governed,  determined  rather  to  end  his  life  with 
credit  than  to  return  w  ith  infamy  and  disgrace  ;  and 
so,  being  all  agreed,  wo  purposed  to  live  and  die  to- 
gether, and  committed  ourselves  to  the  ship. 

Now  the  21st,  having  brouglit  all  our  things  aboard, 
about  eleven  or  twelve  of  the  clock  at  night  we  set 
sail  and  departed  from  those  isles,  which  lie  in  64 
degrees  of  latitude,  our  ships  being  now  all  at  sea,  and 
we  shaping  our  course  to  go  coasting  the  land  to  the 
northwards,  upon  the  eastern  shore,  which  we  called 
the  shore  of  our  merchants,  because  there  we  met  with 
people  which  traffic  with  us  ;  but  here  we  were  not 
without  doubt  of  our  ship. 

The  22nd  and  23rd  we  had  close  fog  and  rain. 

The  24th,  being  in  67  degrees  and  40  minutes, 
we  had  great  store  of  whales,  and  a  kind  of  sea- 
birds  which  the  mariners  call  cortinous.  This  day, 
about  six  of  the  clock  at  night,  we  espied  two  of  the 
country  people  at  sea,  thinking  at  the  first  they  had 
been  two  great  seals,  until  we  saw  their  oars,  glister- 
ing with  the  sun.  They  came  rowing  towards  us  as 
fast  as  they  could,  and  when  they  came  within  hearing 
they  held  up  their  oars  and  cried  "  II  y  a  oute/'  making 
many  signs,  and  at  last  they  came  to  ns,  giving  us 
birds  for  bracelets,  and  of  them  I  had  a  dart  with  a 
bone  in  it,  or  a  piece  of  unicorn's  horn,  as  I  did  jndge. 


l6o  VOYAGES   I»    SEARCH   OF 

This  dart  lie  made  store  of,  but  when  he  saw  a  knife 
he  let  it  go,  being  more  desirous  of  the  knife  than  of 
his  dart.  These  people  continued  rowing  after*  our 
ship  the  space  of  three  hours. 

The  25th,  in  the  morning,  at  seven  of  the  clock,  we 
descried  thirty  savages  rowing  after  us,  being  by 
judgment  ten  leagues  ofB  from  the  shore.  They  brought 
us  salmon  peels,  birds,  and  caplin,  and  we  gave  them 
pins,  needles,  bracelets,  nails,  knives,  bells,  looking- 
glasses,  and  other  small  trifles  ;  and  for  a  knife,  a  nail, 
or  a  bracelet,  which  they  call  ponigmah,  they  would 
sell  their  boat,  coats,  or  anything  they  had,  although 
they  were  far  from  the  shore.  "We  had  but  few  skins 
of  them,  about  twenty;  but  they  made  signs  to  us 
that  if  we  would  go  to  the  shore,  we  should  have  more 
store  of  chicsanege.  They  stayed  with  us  till  eleven 
of  the  clock,  at  which  time  we  went  to  prayer,  and 
they  departed  from  us. 

The  26th  was  cloudy,  the  wind  being  at  south. 

The  27th  fair,  with  the  same  wind. 

The  28th  and  29th  were  foggy,  with  clouds. 

The  30th  day  we  took  the  height,  and  found  our- 
selves in  72  degrees  and  12  minutes  of  latitude,  both 
at  noon  and  at  night,  the  sun  being  five  degrees 
above  the  horizon.  At  midnight  the  compass  set  to 
the  variation  of  28  degrees  to  the  westward.  Now 
having  coasted  the  land  which  we  called  London 
Coast  from  the  21st  of  this  present  till  the  30th,  the 
sea  open  all  to  the  westwards  and  northwards,  the  land 


THE   NOETH-WEST  PASSAGE.  187 

on  starboard  -side  east  from  us,  the  wind  shifted  to 
the  north,  whereupon  we  left  that  shore,  naming  the 
same  Hojie  Sanderson,  and  shaped  our  course  west, 
and  ran  forty  leagues  and  better  without  the  sight  of 
any  land. 

July. — The  2nd  we  fell  in  with  a  mighty  bank  of  ice 
west  from  us,  lying  north  and  south,  which  bank  we 
would  gladly  have  doubled  out  to  the  northwards,  but 
the  wind  would  not  suffer  us,  so  that  we  were  fain  to 
coast  it  to  the  southwards,  hoping  to  double  it  out  that 
we  might  have  run  so  far  west  till  we  had  found  land, 
or  else  to  have  been  thoroughly  resolved  of  our  pre- 
tended purpose. 

The  3rd  we  fell  in  with  the  ice  again,  and  putting 
ofB  from  it  we  sought  to  the  northwards,  but  the 
wind  crossed  us. 

The  4th  was  foggy,  so  was  the  5th ;  also  with  much 
wind  at  north. 

The  6th  being  very  clear,  we  put  our  barque  with 
oars  through  a  gap  in  the  ice,  seeing  the  sea  free  on 
the  west  side,  as  we  thought,  which  falling  out  other- 
wise, caused  us  to  return  after  we  had  stayed  there 
between  the  ice. 

The  7th  and  the  8th,  about  midnight,  by  God's  help 
we  recovered  the  open  sea,  the  weather  being  fair  and 
calm ;  and  so  was  the  9th. 

The  10th  we  coasted  the  ice. 

The  11th  was  foggy,  but  calm.        . 

The  12th  we  coasted  again  the  ice,  having  the  wind 


188  VOYAGES   IN   SEARCH   OF 

at  wftst-nortli-west.  The  13th,  bearing  off  from  the  ice, 
we  determined  to  go  with  the  shore,  and  come  to  an 
anchor,  and  to  stay  five  or  six  days  for  the  dissolv- 
ing of  the  ice,  hoping  that  the  sea  from  continually 
beating  it,  and  the  sun  with  the  extreme  force  of  heat, 
which  it  had  always  shining  upon  it,  would  make  a 
quick  despatch,  that  we  might  have  a  further  search 
upon  the  western  shore.  Now  when  we  were  come  to 
the  eastern  coast,  the  water  something  deep,  and  some 
of  our  company  fearful  withal,  we  durst  not  come  to 
an  anchor,  but  bore  off  into  sea  again.  The  poor 
people,  seeing  us  go  away  again,  came  rowing  after  us 
into  the  sea,  the  waves  being  somewhat  lofty.  We 
trucked  with  them  for  a  few  skins  and  darts,  and  gave 
them  beads,  nails,  needles,  and  cards,  they  pointing  to 
the  shore  as  though  they  would  show  us  great  friend- 
ship ;  but  we,  little  regarding  their  courtesy,  gave  them 
the  gentle  farewell,  and  so  departed. , 

The  14th  we  had  the  wind  at  south.  The  15th  there 
was  some  fault  either  in  the  barque  or  the  set  of  some 
current,  for  we  were  driven  six  points  out  of  our 
course.  The  16th  we  fell  in  with  the  bank  of  ice,  west 
from  us.  The  17th  and  18th  were  foggy.  The  19th, 
at  one  o'clock  afternoon,  we  had  sight  of  the  land 
which  we  called  Mount  Raleigh,  and  at  twelve  of  the 
clock  at  night  we  were  athwart  the  straits  which  we 
discovered  the  first  year.  The  20th  we  traversed  in 
the  mouth  of  the  strait,  the  wind  being  at  west  with 
fair  and  clear  weather.     The  21st  and  22nd  we  coasted 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  189  f-.i^ 


the  northern  coast  of  the  straits.  The  23rd,  having 
sailed  60  leagues  north-west  into  the  straits  at  two 
o'clock  afternoon,  we  anchored  among  many  isles  in  the 
bottom  of  the  gulf,  naming  the  same  the  Earl  of  Cum- 
berland's Isles,  where,  riding  at  anchor,  a  whale  passed 
by  our  ship  and  went  west  in  among  the  isles.  Here 
the  compass  set  at  30  deg^rees  westward  variation. 
The  24th  we  departed,  shaping  our  course  south-east  to 
recover  the  sea.  The  25th  we  were  becalmed  in  the 
bottom  of  the  gulf,  the  air  being  extremely  hot.  Master 
Bruton  and  some  of  the  mariners  went  on  shore  to 
course  dogs,  where  they  found  many  graves,  and  trains 
spilt  on  the  ground,  the  dogs  being  so  fat  that  they 
were  scant  able  to  run. 

The  26th  we  had  a  pretty  storm,  the  wind  being  at 
south-east.  The  27th  and  28th  were  fair.  The  29th 
we  were  clear  out  of  the  straits,  having  coasted  the 
south  shore,  and  this  day  at  T^oon  we  were  in  64  degrees 
of  latitude.  The  30th  in  the  afternoon  we  coasted  a 
bank  of  ice  which  lay  on  the  shore,  and  passed  by  a 
great  bank  or  inlet  which  lay  between  63  and  62 
degrees  of  latitude,  which  wo  called  Luraley's  Inlet. 
We  had  oftentimes,  as  we  sailed  along  the  coast,  great 
roots,  the  water  as  it  were  whirling  and  overfalling, 
as  if  it  were  the  fall  of  some  great  water  through  a 
bridge.  The  31st  as  we  sailed  by  a  headland,  which 
we  named  Warwick's  Foreland,  we  fell  into  one  of 
those  overfalls  with  a  fresh  gale  of  wind,  and  bearing 
all  our  sails,  we  looking  upon  an  island  of  ice  between 


190  VOYAGES   IN  SEARCH  OF 

US  and  the  shore,  had  thought  that  our  barque  did 
make  no  way,  which  caused  us  to  take  marks  on  the 
shore.  At  length  we  perceived  oursehes  to  go  very 
fast,  and  the  island  of  ice  which  we  saw  before  was 
carried  very  forcibly  with  the  set  of  the  current  faster 
than  our  ship  went.  This  day  and  night  we  passed  by 
a  very  great  gulf,  the  water  whirling  and  roaring  as  it 
were  the  meeting  of  tides. 

August. — The  1st,  having  coasted  a  bank  of  ice  which 
was  driven  out  at  tho  mouth  of  this  gidf ,  we  fell  in  with 
the  southernmost  cape  of  the  gulf,  which  we  named 
Chidlie's  Cape,  which  lay  in  6  degrees  and  10  minutes 
of  latitude.  The  2nd  and  3rd  were  calm  and  foggy,  so 
were  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th.  The  7th  was  fair  and  calm, 
so  was  the  8th,  with  a  little  gale  in  the  morning.  The 
9th  was  fair,  and  we  had  a  little  gale  at  night.  The 
10th  we  had  a  frisking  gale  at  west-north-west;  the 
11th  fair.  The  12th  we  saw  five  deer  on  the  top  of  an 
island,  called  by  us  Darcie's  Island.  And  we  hoisted 
out  our  boat,  and  went  ashore  to  them,  thinking  to 
have  killed  some  of  them.  But  when  we  came  on  shore 
and  had  coursed  them  twice  about  the  island  they  took 
the  sea,  and  swam  towards  islands  distant  from  that 
three  leagues.  When  we  perceived  that  they  had  taken 
the  sea,  we  gave  them  over,  because  our  boat  was  so 
small  that  it  could  not  carry  us  and  row  after  them, 
they  swam  so  fast  ^  but  one  of  them  was  as  big  as  a  good 
pretty  cow,  and  very  fat ;  their  feet  as  big  as  ox-feet. 
Here  upon  this  island  I  killed  with  my  piece  a  grey  hare. 


THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE.  191 

The  13th  in  the  morning  we  saw  th  "de  or  four  white 
bears,  but  durst  not  go  on  shore  unto  them  for  lack  of 
a  good  boat.  This  day  we  struck  a  rock  seeking  for 
a  harbour,  and  received  a  leak,  and  this  day  we  were 
in  54  degrees  of  latitude.  The  14th  we  stopped  our 
leak  in  a  storm  not  very  outrageous  at  noon. 

The  15th,  being  almost  in  51  degrees  of  latitude,  and 
not  finding  our  ships,  nor  (according  to  their  promise) 
being  any  mark,  token,  or  beacon,  which  we  willed  to 
set  up,  and  they  protested  to  do  so  upon  every  headland, 
sea,  island,  or  cape,  within  20  leagues  every  way  off 
from  their  fishing  place,  which  our  captain  appointed 
to  be  between  54  and  55  degrees — this  15th,  I  say,  we 
shaped  our  course  homeward  for  England,  having  in 
our  ship  but  little  wood,  and  half  a  hogshead  of  fresh 
water.  Our  men  were  very  willing  to  depart,  and  no 
man  more  forward  than  Peerson,  for  he  feared  to  be 
put  out  of  his  of&ce  of  stewardship ;  he  was  so  insatiate 
that  the  allowance  of  two  men  was  scant  sufficient  to 
fill  his  greedy  appetite  ;  but  because  every  man  was  so 
willing  to  depart,  and  considering  our  want,  I  doubted 
the  matter  very  much,  fearing  that  the  seething  of  our 
men's  victuals  in  salt  water  would  breed  diseases,  and 
being  but  few  (yet  too  many  for  the  room,  if  any  should 
be  sick),  and  likely  tliat  all  the  rest  might  be  infected 
therewith,  we  consented  to  return  for  our  own  country, 
and  so  we  had  the  16th  there  with  the  wind  at  south-west. 
,  The  17th  we  met  a  ship  at  sea,  and  as  far  as  we  could 
judge  it  was  a  Biscayan;  we  tlioiight  she  went  a-lishing 


192  THE   NOBTH-WEST  PASSAGE. 

for  whales,  for  in  52  degrees  or  thereabout  we  saw 
Tery  many. 

The  18th  was  fair  with  a  good  gale  at  west. 

The  19th  fair  also,  but  with  much  wind  at  west  and 
by  south. 

And  thus,  after  much  variable  weather  and  change  of 
winds,  we  arrived  the  15th  of  September  in  Dartmouth, 
Anno  1587,  giving  thanks  to  God  for  our  safe  arrival. 


A  letter  of  the  said  Master  Johni  DaviSy  vjritten  to 
Master  Sanderson  of  London^  concerning  his 
fore-vyritten  voyage. 

Good  Master  Sanderson, — ^With  God's  great 
mercy  I  have  made  my  safe  return  in  health  with  all 
my  company,  and  have  sailed  60  leagues  farther  than 
my  determination  at  my  departure.  I  have  been  in  73 
degrees,  finding  the  sea  all  open,  and  40  leagues  between 
land  and  land ;  the  passage  is  most  certain,  the  execu- 
tion most  easy,  as  at  my  coming  you  shall  fully  know. 
Yesterday,  the  15th  of  September,  I  landed  all  weary, 
therefore  I  pray  you  pardon  my  shortness. 

Sandridge,  this  16th  of  September,  Anno  1587. 
Tours  equal  as  mine  own,  which 

by  trial  you  shall  best  know, 

John  Davis. 


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signers.  Art  Manufacturers,  and  all  interested  in  Art,  a  series  of  valu* 
able  handbooks  on  the  History  and  Practical  Application  of  Art.  ^ 


ITO\^    BBATDT. 


ANATOMY   FOB  ARTISTS. 


By  Matthias  Duval,  Membre  de  1' Academic  de  Medi- 
cine, Professor  of  d'Anatomie  k  I'Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts. 
Translated  by  F.  E.  Fenton,  F.R.CS.,  etc.,  with  about 
one  hundred  illustrations.    i2mo,  cloth,  324  pages,  $2.00. 


THE  ENGLISH  SCHOOL  OF  PAINTING. 


By  M.  Ernest  Chesneau,  late  Inspector  of  Fine  Arts: 
Translated  by  L.  N.  Etherington.  With  an  introduc- 
tion by  Professor  Ruskin.  Upwards  of  one  hundred 
engravings.     i2mo,  cloth,  338  pagps,  $2.00. 


HISTORY  OP  FLEMISH  PAINTING. 


By  A.  J.  Wauters.  Translated  by  Elise  Rossel.  With 
about  one  hundred  engravings.  i2mo,  cloth,  428  pages, 
$2.00. 

THE  DUTCH  SCHOOL  OF  PAINTING. 


By  N.  Henry  Havard.  Translated  by  G,  Powell. 
With  about  one  hundred  illustrations.  i2mo,  390  pages, 
$2.oa 


CASSELL  &  COMPANY,  Limited, 
)39  and  741  Broadway,  New  York. 


•  Thb  first  English  mbmoir  worthy  op  thb  name." 
•  — London  Timet* 

Prince  Bismarck. 


AN  HISTORICAL  BIOGRAPHY. 


By  CHARLES  LOWE,  M.  A. 


With  Introduction  by  Prof.  Munroe  Smith,  of  Columbia 

College,  New  York. 

In  two  large  Octavo  Volumes,  over  1,300  pages,  with 
Portraits,  complete  Index  and  Appendix,  giving  the  com- 
plete text  of  the  Treaty  of  Vienna  (1864),  Convention  of 
Gastein  (1865)1  Treaty  of  Prague  (r  866).  Treaty  of  Frank- 
fort (1871),  The  Prussian  Constitution,  The  Imperial  Con- 
stitution, etc.,  etc. 


Extra  Cloth,  Price,  per  Set,      -      -      $5.00. 


Mr.  Lowe  has  written  an  able  account  of  a  great  career,  and  his 
book  is  full  of  information,  either  personal  or  political,  from  the  first 
page  to  the  last.V — London  Morning  Post. 

"  The  first  complete  historical  sketch  of  the  great  German  states^ 
man,  who  will  occupy  so  conspicuous  a  place  in  the  annals  of  the 
nineteenth  centtiiy,  ...  Of  permanent  value  to  the  correct  and 
intelligent  apprehension  of  the  political  history  of  Europe."— Z-/wr- 
^IMercury, 


CASSELL   &   COMPANY,  Limited. 

739  and  741  Broadway,  New  York. 


rAlUAfiLE  BOOKS  FOB  THE  LIBMT. 


DICTIONARY  OF  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Being  a  comprehensive  Guide  to  English  Authors  and  their 
Works.  By  W.  Davenport  Adams.  776  pp.,  crown 
8vo,  cloth,  $1.50. 

'*  We  distinctly  and  emphatically  mark  it  as  one  of  the  few  books 
of  reference  wnich  are  essential  to  every  person  who  takes  any  inter* 
est  in  English  literature." — Literary  World. 


DICTIONARY   OF  PHRASE  AND  FABLE. 

By  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brewer.  Giving  the  Derivation,  Source, 
or  Origin  of  about  20,000  Common  Phrases,  Allusions 
and  Words  that  have  a  Tale  to  Tell.  New  and  Revised 
Edition.  Extra  crown  8vo,  1,070  pp.,  half  Morocco,  gilt 
top,  $2.50. 


DICTIONARY  OF  MIRACLES. 


Imitative,  Realistic  and  Dogmatic.  By  Rev.  Dr.  Brewer. 
Illustrated,  extra  crown  8vo,  over  600  pp. ,  half  morocco, 
gilt  top,  $2.50. 


THE  READER'S  HANDBOOK. 

Of  Allusions,  References,  Plots  and  Stories,  with  two  Ap- 
pendices. By  the  Rev.  E.  Cobham  Brewer,  LL.D., 
Trinity  Hall,  Cambridge,  author  of  **  Dictionary  of 
Phrase  and  Fable,"  "Dictionary  of  Miracles,"  etc. 
1 1 84  pages,  8vo,  half  morocco,  $3.50. 


CASSELL  &  COMPANY,  Limited, 

739  and  741  Broadway,  New  York. 


